Artwork
Banana Plants
Banana Plants is an unspecified painting by the Qing dynasty painting artist Min Zhen. It dates from 1788 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
You see a tall banana plant with broad leaves and small hanging fruit, painted in black ink on paper.
You see a tall banana plant with broad leaves and small hanging fruit, painted in black ink on paper.
Min Zhen made this for a friend, trading it for a scholar’s stone—a prized rock shaped by nature. The leaves look almost alive, their edges curling as if touched by wind. The ink is light in some spots, dark in others, giving the plant depth without color.
Look up other works from China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) to see how artists used ink like this.
Overview
Min Zhen was trained by Tang Yin (1682–1756), a writer, playwright, and superintendent of the imperial porcelain workshops in Jingdezhen. The connection to him may have enabled Min to stay in Beijing for a decade from around 1773. It is not clear whether he ever resided in Yangzhou, but his style is in many instances reminiscent of that of Yangzhou artist Huang Shen. This album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two paintings are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above ( Cat and Butterfly CMA 1985.71.5 ) and below ( Banana Plant CMA 1985.71.11 ), they have a humorous touch. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.
Did you know?
Min Zhen was orphaned at age 12 and developed an eccentric personality,
Artist & collection
Artist
Min Zhen was a Chinese painter and seal carver born in Nanchang, Jiangxi, who spent most of his life in Hubei.
