Blossoming Prunus Branch, after Wang Yüan-chang (Wang Mien) / Yamamoto Baiitsu

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Record Details

Accession Number
1970/2.156
Title
Blossoming Prunus Branch, after Wang Yüan-chang (Wang Mien)
Artist Nationality
Japanese
Artist Life Dates
1783-1856
Medium and Support
hanging scroll, ink on paper
Object Creation Date
1847
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
Japan (nation)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
Japan (nation)
Style/Group/Movement
literati
Inscription
Inscription and 3 seals in right margin: painted copy of Wang Miens seals, 1) Chu-chai t'u wei, 2) Kuai-chi chia shan, and 3) Fang wai ssü ma; Inscription on right: Below the solitary peak above West lake, remains the open forest of many plum trees; the old trunks and stones stripped of melancholy snow; only the theme of flowers is associated since ancient times, signed Wang Yüan Chang; Copy of colophon by Wu Chang (an owner of the Wang Mien original) on left, signed Wu Chang, no seals; Inscription by Baiitsu in lower left: On the 23 day of the eigth month, in the autumn of the year Teimi (1847) Yamamoto Baiitsu Ryo immitated. followed by the artist's seal: Bai-itsu
Dimensions
104.46 cm x 35.88 cm (41 1/8 in. x 14 1/8 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
hanging scroll
Secondary Object Classification
Painting
Secondary Object Type
tree
Physical Description
The prunus branch depicted by Baiitsu makes use of the long vertical form provided by the hanging scroll format. The branch enters the visual field from the top right, and curves downward toward the bottom of the scroll. On either side of the branch are sections of calligraphic text.
Subject Matter
This painting exemplifies one of the ways Japanese artists learned from Chinese models: it is a direct copy of a work by the Yuan dynasty artist Wang Mien. Baiitsu placed thin sheets of paper over the original and traced the contours of the branches in pale ink; then, looking at the two works side-by-side, he painted in the washes, imitating Wang’s “flying white” brush strokes. Baiitsu even copied Wang’s original inscription and seals, as well as a colophon by a later owner of the work.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
607 x 1474
File Size
126 KB
Record
1970/2.156
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1970-sl-2.156/1970_2.156.jpg

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Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1970-SL-2.156:1970_2.156.JPG

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"Blossoming Prunus Branch, after Wang Yüan-chang (Wang Mien); Yamamoto Baiitsu." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1970-sl-2.156/1970_2.156.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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