Birds in Wintry Trees
date: label: Date
content: 16th-17th century
label: Period
content: Ming dynasty
name: label: Artist
content: Formerly attributed to Li Di (active late 12th-early 13th century)
notes: label: Label
content: The philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) once observed that pine and cypress are the last trees to wither in winter. Consequently, these two hardy evergreens became parallel symbols of longevity in traditional China, representing the virtuous gentleman who endures adversity with fortitude.
label: Label
content: While this painting depicts all three "friends of winter," the frigid scene is dominated by two ancient, weathered cypresses that grow on the slopes above a steep precipice. A tall stand of snowy bamboo peeps from behind some large boulders, while on the edge of the cliff at right, a bare, twisted plum tree provides a roost for several groups of small birds huddling against the cold. Various other birds are scattered throughout the painting: a pair of mandarin ducks makes an improbable nest among the icy grass in the foreground; below the first cypress, two magpies peck in the snow for food, while three of their brethren perch on the broken trunk and upper branches of the second tree. Across a vast chasm, snow-covered peaks shine whitely against the dark, wintry sky.
label: Label
content: Landscape paintings such as this, with most of the composition on one side and large empty areas devoted to atmosphere, originated in the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). The current painting is a later reworking of an old composition, which may date to that time.
label: Provenance
content: To 1916
label: Provenance
content: Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1916 to 1970
label: Provenance
content: Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY, purchased from Pang Yuanji in 1916 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1970
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, bequeathed by Agnes E. Meyer in 1970 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] The painting was published and illustrated in Pang Yuanji’s catalogue, Antique Famous Chinese Paintings Collected by P’ang Lai Ch’en, vol. 1 (Shanghai, Privately published by Pang Yuanji, 1916), no. 26: “Li Ti, Old Cedar and Winter Birds.”
label: Provenance
content: [2] In 1916 Pang Yuanji, with the assistance of Pang Zanchen and Seaouke Yue, sent a group of paintings illustrated in Antique Famous Chinese Paintings Collected by P’ang Lai Ch’en catalogue to New York and showed them to Charles Freer. See Ingrid Larsen, “‘Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures’: Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum,” Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), p. 23. Freer made a selection of paintings for his collection and advised the Meyers and Louisine Havemeyer with their acquisitions. Freer’s copy of the 1916 Pang catalogue includes pencil annotations indicating that this painting was purchased by Agnes E. Meyer.
label: Provenance
content: [3] See Deed of Gift, signed by Agnes E. Meyer’s children and dated to May 31, 1971, where the painting is listed under no. 1, copy in object file.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Style in Chinese Landscape Painting: The Song Legacy (May 17 to October 26, 2014)
label: Exhibition History
content: Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum in Chinese Painting (August 12, 2001 to February 3, 2002)
label: Exhibition History
content: Ming Dynasty Paintings (December 4, 1978 to June 14, 1979)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Figure Painting (September 17, 1973 to January 3, 1975)
label: Exhibition History
content: Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition (September 25, 1971 to October 2, 1972)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Pang Yuanji 龐元濟 (1864-1949)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: landscape
label: Topic
content: pine tree
label: Topic
content: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
label: Topic
content: snow
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1970.32
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Hanging scroll mounted on panel; ink and color on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 195.1 x 97.5 cm (76 13/16 x 38 3/8 in)