Object Details
Artist
Hua Yan (1682-1756)
Label
Hua Yan apprenticed in the family business of papermaking, but ultimately became a well-known painter. He specialized in depictions of amusing, animated birds and animals, and developed a personal style of dry, light brushwork. Some of Hua Yan's paintings can be read as social commentary. This scroll may have been created as political satire, since a squirrel can symbolize a small-minded, greedy man who nonetheless achieves high position.
Most of Hua Yan's paintings incorporate a brief inscription. This combination of pictorial imagery and calligraphy is typical of eighteenth-century Qing dynasty style and is seen in both paintings and porcelain design. Artists in these two media also found common ground in the use of similar motifs.
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
Beyond Paper: Chinese Calligraphy on Objects (August 18, 1994 to July 3, 1997)
Chinese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to September 4, 1980)
Chinese and Japanese Art--Lacquer and Paintings (August 18, 1967 to October 14, 1969)
Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Date
1730s-40s
Period
Qing dynasty
Accession Number
F1958.8
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Painting
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 134.5 x 60.3 cm (52 15/16 x 23 3/4 in)
Origin
China
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911)
China
Chinese Art
mynah bird
squirrel
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_F1958.8