Manual of Ink Bamboo

Wu Zhen (1280-1354), Yuan dynasty

Wu Zhen (a native of Jiaxing) was good at poetry and prose while excelling at painting and calligraphy, becoming known as one of the Four Yuan Masters.

This album was painted in 1350 and presented to the artist's son, Fonu. It features 22 leaves, of which the first two are a transcription of Su Shi's "Inscription on a Painting of Bamboo by Wen Tong." The remaining twenty leaves depict bamboo in varying stages of growth, including new shoots, tender branches, and old stalks. Bamboo is also shown in different poses, such as bending down into the composition, and weather conditions, including rain, wind, and snow. The forms of the bamboo, whether painted strong and upright or delicate and supple in the breeze, all appear with a sense of archaic beauty and hoary strength to yield a free and unyielding spirit. Each painting features an inscription in cursive script with tips and opinions about depicting bamboo using ink, making this album a masterpiece that combines both painting and calligraphy.

Exhibit List

Title
Artist
Period
Note
Transcription of Su Shi's "Record on a Bamboo Painting by Wen Tong" (I)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 41.1 x 51.5 cm
Transcription of Su Shi's "Record on a Bamboo Painting by Wen Tong" (II)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 41.1 x 51.5 cm
Bamboo and Rocks on a Gentle Slope
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Imitating the Brush Idea of Yuke (Wen Tong)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Bamboo in Wind and Rain
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Where There's Bamboo, People are Refined
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Slender Bamboo in a Light Breeze (I)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Slender Bamboo in a Light Breeze (II): Painting Bamboo to Dispel Commonality
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
After Clearing Mist at Daybreak
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Bamboo Hanging from a Precipice
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
The Idea of Rising into the Air
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Ink-Play of Painting Bamboo
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Quietly Pondering Bamboo by a Window
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Drenched in a Jiangnan Rain
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Lodging a Feeling of (Mine,) the Plum Blossom Elder
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
The Poetic Idea of Jianzhai (Chen Yuyi)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Painting Bamboo in Imitation of Xizhai (Li Kan)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Bamboo Leaning Deep on a Path
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Light Shadows Cast over Green Moss
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
A Light Breeze Among 500 Stalks
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Viewing Bamboo at Xuanmiao (Temple)
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm
Playfully Rendered in Snow
Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
Yuan dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 40.3 x 52 cm