Painting study · Ink painting
Man, Buffalo, and Calf1145 · Study 1960.41
Li You (Chinese, active c. 1145)
1145
Recorded as album leaf; ink and color on silk, this horizontal work measures 26.7 × 25 cm using the museum’s image dimensions. Explore the museum’s context and compare the format with a wall of your choice.
Museum collection reference. This work is not offered for sale by Physical Art For Crypto. Museum attribution does not imply a partnership or endorsement.
Context from the museum
Here, a herdboy tending a cow with a calf is sitting beneath a tree with his pet myna bird. The painting can be read as a pastoral scene. As the water buffalo helped plow the fields, it was perceived as an animal that endures hard work without gain for itself, often interpreted as a metaphor for the official. Ox-herding pictures, presented as gifts in court circles, were used for their moral and political rhetoric. The Yijing (Book of Changes) states, The Receptive is the earth, the mother . . . it is a cow with a calf . . . the multitude [in relation to the ruler] .
Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.
A detail to notice
Li You included such tiny details as circular patterns of hair on the buffalo’s hindquarters.
Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Read the dimensions before the image
The selected image measurement for Man, Buffalo, and Calf is 26.7 cm wide and 25 cm high, equivalent to approximately 10.5 × 9.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.07:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.07 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 8.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 136.7 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 Man, Buffalo, and Calf in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, album leaf; ink and color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.
- Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
- Would a 26.7 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?
Explore physical scale
How large would this format feel on your wall?
Use this museum work’s recorded format as a reference. Adjust a blank wall and optional frame allowance to compare proportions. The museum painting is an educational reference and is not for sale here.
Calculation: outside width = recorded width + twice your frame allowance. This is a proportion study, not an installation assessment. It excludes furniture, hardware, load capacity, depth and delivery clearance. The display image may include margins absent from the recorded measurement.
Compare formats with the studio collection
These Lei-Kol works have the closest width-to-height ratios in the current catalog. This is a geometry comparison, not a claim of artistic similarity, equivalent value, or association with the museum artist.
| Painting | Width × height | Format ratio | USD catalog price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Denim | 48 × 48 in | 1.00:1 | $1,699 |
| Mushrooms | 48 × 48 in | 1.00:1 | $2,399 |
| Stardust | 48 × 48 in | 1.00:1 | $2,199 |
Availability and delivery costs must be confirmed for the individual order.
Related studies
mid-1200s · China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
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Ma Lin (Chinese, c. 1185–after 1260) · Album leaf; ink and slight color on silk
c. 1250–79 · China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
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Fachang Muqi (Chinese, 1220–1280) · Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on silk
1100s–1200s · China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
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Su Hanchen (Chinese, active c. 1101–1125); Wang Juzhen (Chinese) · Album leaf; ink and color on silk
c. 1256 · China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei
Ma Lin (Chinese, c. 1185–after 1260) · Album leaf; ink on silk
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