Bamboo in Four Seasons: Summer

The painting depicts high bamboo stems in a breeze with leaves all torn in one direction. The rock on the right suggests a garden setting. Bamboo remains green throughout the year; new shoots emerge every spring and are a Chinese delicacy. During the Yuan dynasty, monochrome ink painting became the dominant style of the scholar-artist, and is used here by a professional painter. Monochrome bamboo with leaves blown in the wind was a popular subject as its depiction demanded brushstrokes and techniques similar to writing calligraphy.

Credit: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund