Bird Sleeping on a Plum Treeearly 1900s · Study 1998.31

Context from the museum

The plum’s status as the orthodox symbol of the literati’s pure spirit originated in Lin Bu’s poem "Tiny Plum Flowers in Mountain Garden." The plum was also widely depicted in Korean paintings as part of the Four Gentlemen—or Four Gracious Plants—motif. Here, the plum and bamboo express literati spirituality while the bird with its head pointing downward indicates the artist’s feelings about the unstable situation at the end of the Joseon period. Yang Ki-hun was a Korean scholar-official renowned for painting and calligraphy. King Gojong (reigned 1863–1907) was one of Yang's prominent patrons.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Yang Ki-hun was one of the most commercially successful painters active in the late 19th century.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Bird Sleeping on a Plum Tree is 96.8 cm wide and 37 cm high, equivalent to approximately 38.1 × 14.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 2.62:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.36 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 32.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 101.6 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Bird Sleeping on a Plum Tree in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 96.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?