Listening to the Sound of Autumn in a Misty Grove1657 · Study 1977.173

Context from the museum

Zhang Feng from Nanjing passed the local government examinations shortly before the fall of the Ming dynasty. With the Manchu conquest, he joined the ranks of loyalists who refused to serve the new regime. He chose the intermittently frugal life of a Buddhist adept. Many of his paintings lament the loss of the empire. In this scroll, he depicts a lone figure in a stark landscape of frosty atmosphere enshrouded in mists. Close looking reveals red strokes that color the grounds, a way of expressing his loyalty to the Ming whose family name Zhu means red .

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

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting measurement for Listening to the Sound of Autumn in a Misty Grove is 34.5 cm wide and 96.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 13.6 × 38.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.36:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.33 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 11.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 132.8 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 Listening to the Sound of Autumn in a Misty Grove 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 and color on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 34.5 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?