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Clouds and Waves at the Wu Gorge

Xie Shichenc. 1547–67

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

This dramatic landscape composition was probably painted after Xie Shichen returned from a journey in 1547 that took him through various provinces of China, including Sichuan and sailing the Yangzi. The composition from a high vantage point offers a view deep into the Wu Gorge where rolling waves put a ship in peril. The scale and composition of this landscape, which was inspired by the majestic mountain scenery in Sichuan province, as well as Xie’s vigorous brushwork, are exceptional.

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  • Title: Clouds and Waves at the Wu Gorge
  • Creator: Xie Shichen (Chinese, 1487–after 1567)
  • Date Created: c. 1547–67
  • Physical Dimensions: Painting: 243.1 x 90 cm (95 11/16 x 35 7/16 in.); Overall with knobs: 295.6 x 115 cm (116 3/8 x 45 1/4 in.)
  • Provenance: Tanaka Buhei 田中武兵衛 [early 1900s], Tokyo, Japan, (Cheng Qi 程琦 [1911–1988], Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1968.213
  • Medium: hanging scroll, ink and light color on paper
  • Inscriptions: "巫峽雲濤" 謝時臣寫 [印] 姑蘇台下逸人; 樗仙, 5 additional seals of Cheng Qi 程琦 (1911–1988).
  • Fun Fact: This large painting was likely created for a wealthy or powerful family's grand hall to impress their visitors.
  • Department: Chinese Art
  • Culture: China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Credit Line: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
  • Collection: ASIAN - Hanging scroll
  • Accession Number: 1968.213
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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