Eagle on a Tree Trunk

Also known as: Eagle on a Tree Trunk 古槎秋鷹圖

About the Artwork

Huang Shen’s swift painting style is paralleled in his calligraphy. The vertical line in running script echoes the fluid form of the eagle on a tree trunk covered with a twisted vine. A native of Fujian province, Huang came to Yangzhou in 1724 to make his living as a painter. He needed years to develop a style that met the taste of his clients. He eventually became known as a figure painter and as one of the Eccentrics from Yangzhou, a group of local artists known for their unorthodox painting style.

Inscriptions

乾隆乙亥年燈節前二日癭瓢子慎写。 [印]黃慎; 恭壽。

Provenance

Pu Ru 溥儒 [1895–1963] ?–1977: Richard Nathanson [20th century], London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art 1977–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Year in Review: 1977. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 28, 1977-January 22, 1978). Power and Possession: Chinese Calligraphy and Inscribed Objects – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 13, 2018-February 3, 2019). When Salt was Gold: Yangzhou, City of Riches and Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 12-November 5, 2023).

Quick Overview

Artist: Huang Shen (Chinese, 1687–after 1768)
Date: 1755
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Image: 124 x 45 cm (48 13/16 x 17 11/16 in.); Overall: 213.2 x 61.2 cm (83 15/16 x 24 1/8 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession no.: 1977.31

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