A Prunus in the Moonlight

About the Artwork

The plum flourishes in the mild climate of the south, and it was not before the Six Dynasties period (220– 589 CE) that the motif began to be appreciated by southern artists, many of whom had emigrated from the north. Wang Mian from Zhejiang province had failed the civil and military service examinations and later rejected appointments under the Mongol government. Instead, he chose to return home, making a living by selling plum paintings. Few of Wang’s works have survived, but they demonstrate that by his time the ink-plum (momei) genre was fully developed.

Inscriptions

海雲初破月團團，獨鶴高飛夜未殘。一片笙簫湖水上，玉妃含笑倚闌干。王元章作; 8 additional seals: 6 of the Qianlong 乾隆 emperor (r. 1736–95); 2 of Dong Gao 董誥 (1740–1818).

Provenance

Qing imperial collection, seals of the Qianlong Emperor, reigned 1736–95 Dong Gao 董誥 [1740–1818] Marquis Asano Nagakoto 侯爵淺野長勲 [1842–1937], Hiroshima, Japan Yasuda Family 安田家, chief retainer of the Asano Family ?–1974: (Mayuyama & Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1974–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Year in Review: 1974. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 11-April 6, 1975). Chinese Paintings: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-April 5, 1981). 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). Greeting the Spring (Chinese art rotation, galleries 240a, 239, 241c). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (February 11-August 13, 2017). 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: Wang Mian (Chinese, 1287–1359)
Date: 1300s
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on silk
Dimensions: Painting: 164.6 x 94.6 cm (64 13/16 x 37 1/4 in.); Overall with knobs: 260.6 x 126.3 cm (102 5/8 x 49 3/4 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession no.: 1974.26

More by Wang Mian in museum collections

Fragrant Snow at Broken Bridge
Wang Mian
14th century · Painting
Public collection via the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAT-00014090

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