博
Artist: Zheng Xie
Date: Qing (AD 1644-1911)
Year: the 19th year of Qianlong reign period of Qing (AD 1754), when the author was aged 62.
Dimensions: Length 217.4 cm, Width 120.6 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Zheng Xie (1693-1756), one of the ‘Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou’, was noted for ink wash painting of bamboo and orchid with a focus on the real situation of the objects depicted in a calligraphic style. The images he created are vivid and lively, as well as slender and straight.
In this painting, four tall bamboo trees of different length stand in front of a huge rock, leaning either left or right and skilfully spaced, looking elegant and smart. The huge rock behind the bamboos is thin and hard in terms of brush strokes, fully reflecting the charm with just a few lines. The inscription on the left shows the painter's admiration for Su Dongpo, and at the same time stresses that painting should not fall into the previous stereotypes but pursue a personal style.
