Lotus Blossom / Zhang Daqian (Chang Ta-ch'ien)
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1991/1.67
- Title
- Lotus Blossom
- Artist Nationality
- Chinese
- Artist Life Dates
- (Neijiang, Szechuan, 1899 - 1983)
- Medium and Support
- hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1965-1975
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- China (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- China (nation)
- Dimensions
- 143.2 cm x 65.5 cm (56 3/8 in. x 25 13/16 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- hanging scroll
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- bird and flower
- Physical Description
- Blue, gray and black ink washes are used to depict lotus blossoms rising out of and partially hidden by plants and muddy waters. A poem is written above, alluding to the lotus blossoms below.
- Subject Matter
- In China, the lotus has been a symbol of well-being since ancient times. The pod, abundant with seeds, came to be associated with the desire for many offspring. In Buddhism, the lotus is a symbol of the intrinsic purity of the “Buddha-nature” lying within all living beings, because it emerges as a pure white blossom from the muck of a swamp. A Confucian layer of meaning likens the lotus blossom to the pure and lofty character of a gentleman who is above worldly concerns.
- Perhaps the lotus rising out of muddy waters are alluding to the elusive nature of wisdom or purity. Zhang Daqian was one of the most famous, versatile, and prolific artists of twentieth-century China.
- Secondary Keywords
- buildings and the land
- coating (material)
- coating by form
- combination inorganic/organic material
- descriptors
- design elements
- image-making processes and techniques
- inorganic material
- landscapes (environments)
- materials
- materials by composition
- materials by function
- motifs
- natural landscapes
- plant-derived motifs
- processes and techniques
- processes and techniques by specific type
- settlements and landscapes
- soil
- soil by composition or origin
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- wetlands
- writing (processes)
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 897 x 1469
- File Size
- 97 KB
- Record
- 1991/1.67
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1991-sl-1.67/1991_1.67.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1991-SL-1.67:1991_1.67.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Lotus Blossom; Zhang Daqian (Chang Ta-ch'ien)." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1991-sl-1.67/1991_1.67.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 24, 2024.
