Bamboo in the Wind

About the Artwork

Bamboo is an evergreen plant that does not break under the weight of snow or the force of the wind, and thus became a favorite motif in literati painting and Chan Buddhism as a metaphor for the virtue of not yielding to worldly temptations. Xuechuang, also known as monk Puming, was a native of Songjiang, near Shanghai, who spent his life as a monk in Suzhou. In 1338, he presided over Yunyan temple on Tiger Hill. Here, he masterfully depicts a bamboo gently bent in a subtle breeze. Puming’s paintings were revered in Japan and Korea.

Inscriptions

Artist's signature and 2 seals, all reading: Xuechuang 雪窓.

Provenance

Marquis Asano Nagakoto 侯爵淺野長勳 [1842–1937], Hiroshima, Japan ?–1953: (Howard Hollis & Company, Cleveland, OH, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1953–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Asia and the West. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA (organizer) (October 28-December 1, 1957). Tea Taste in Japanese Art. The Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (February 20-April 21, 1963). The Colors of Ink. Asia House Galleries (January 10-March 3, 1974); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 9-May 12, 1974). Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (November 7, 1980-January 4, 1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 11-March 29, 1981); Tokyo National Museum (October 4-November 17, 1982). Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17, 1991-January 5, 1992). The Spirit of Hiroshima's Asano Clan - Resurrecting Daimyo Culture. Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum, Hiroshima-city, Japan (organizer) (September 10-October 20, 2019). China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2023-January 7, 2024).

Quick Overview

Artist: Puming (Xuechuang) (Chinese, active before 1274–after 1329)
Date: 1300s
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on silk
Dimensions: Painting: 77.6 x 45.7 cm (30 9/16 x 18 in.); Overall with knobs: 209.5 x 75.5 cm (82 1/2 x 29 3/4 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
Accession no.: 1953.246

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.