Listening to the Wind in the Pines1400s · Study 1985.89

Context from the museum

A monk sits in contemplation below an overhang covered with pine. The poem, titled "Monk in the Mountains Listening to the Wind in the Pines," refers to two Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhist monks active in the ninth century. It may be translated as follows: Why must the Zen of Rinzai (Linji Yixuan) and Tokusan (Deshan Xuanjian) reside in a single temple for thirty years? Once he's solved his kōan , (the monk) ends his practice and falls asleep in the quietness of the wind among the tall pines. (translated by Osvaldo Mercuri) According to an inscription following the poem, both painting and verse were done by an eminent Japanese Buddhist monk known for revitalizing the Kyoto temple Daitokuji.

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

A detail to notice

The word mountain, appearing in the title to the poem on this painting, can also refer to a temple.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Listening to the Wind in the Pines is 32 cm wide and 76.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 12.6 × 30.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.42:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.25 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 10.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 134.0 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 Wind in the Pines 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 paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 32 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?