Accession Number
1985/2.28

Title
Plum Blossoms, after Jin Nong


Artist(s)
Li Jishou

Object Creation Date
19th century

Medium & Support
hanging scroll, ink on paper

Dimensions
5 ft. 6 1/8 in. x 17 7/8 in. (167.9 x 45.3 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Label copy
Inscription: Standing alone …
Three seals of the artist
A native of southwest China, Li Jishou was most famous for his ink plum blossoms executed in the style of Jin Nong (1687–1764). This elegant arrangement of intertwined branches and clustered petals reveals his special skill with natural elements. Li included a long inscription at the upper left corner, written in squared-off characters in homage to Jin Nong’s distinctive calligraphic style; compare the two album leaves created by Jin Nong, also in UMMA collections (1996/2.28, 1996/2.29). Li’s poem reads:
Standing alone elegantly, [the plum blossom] is not of this dusty world.
At the forefront of all other spring flowers, it blooms first.
Uniquely distinguished, its bones and face are made of ice and frost.
From its indifference to fame and profit, one witnesses its ingenuousness.
This celebrated blossom has many manifestations, yet there is no trace of its origins.
Its present form is actually the reincarnation of the bright moon.
A tree with flowers like coral, its fragrance trails off endlessly;
Its pure demeanor overawes the heaven and earth.
--
A native of southwest China, Li Jishou was most famous for his ink paintings of plum blossoms executed in the style of Jin Nong (1687–1764). This elegant arrangement of intertwined branches and clustered petals reveals his special skill with natural elements. In the upper left corner Li included a long inscription in squared-off characters that are an homage to Jin Nong’s distinctive calligraphic style.
The poem reads:
Standing alone elegantly, [the plum blossom] is not of this dusty world. At the forefront of all other spring flowers, it blooms first. Uniquely distinguished, its bones and face are made of ice and frost. From its indifference to fame and profit, one witnesses its ingenuousness. This celebrated blossom has many manifestations, yet there is no trace of its origins. Its present form is actually the reincarnation of the bright moon. A tree with flowers like coral, its fragrance trails off endlessly; its pure demeanor overawes the heaven and earth.
Winter 2011 Gallery Rotation
Li Jishou (Li Chi-shou)
China, active 19th century
Plum Blossoms, after Jin Nong
Qing Period (1644–1912)
19th century
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund, 1985/2.28
A native of southwest China, Li Jishou was most famous for his ink paintings of plum blossoms executed in the style of Jin Nong (1687–1764). This elegant arrangement of intertwined branches and clustered petals reveals his special skill with natural elements. In the upper left corner Li included a long inscription in squared-off characters that are an homage to Jin Nong’s distinctive calligraphic style.
The poem reads:
Standing alone elegantly, [the plum blossom] is not of this dusty world. At the forefront of all other spring flowers, it blooms first. Uniquely distinguished, its bones and face are made of ice and frost. From its indifference to fame and profit, one witnesses its ingenuousness. This celebrated blossom has many manifestations, yet there is no trace of its origins. Its present form is actually the reincarnation of the bright moon. A tree with flowers like coral, its fragrance trails off endlessly; its pure demeanor overawes the heaven and earth.

Subject matter
A native of southwest China, Li Jishou was most famous for his ink paintings of plum blossoms executed in the style of Jin Nong (1687–1764). Li includes an inscription in squared-off characters that are an homage to Jin Nong’s distinctive calligraphic style.

Physical Description
The branches of a plum tree stretch skyward, skillfully utilizing the vertical space of this hanging scroll. Black dots are used as accents along the branches, making them look knotted and full of texture. These heavy features are offset by the delicate depiction of plum blossoms. Calligraphic text is in the upper right corner, with two seals.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
calligraphy (process)
flowers (plant components)
hanging scrolls
ink
literati (painters)