Insects and Flowers

Insects and Flowers

Ju Lian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ju Lian, unlike his older cousin Ju Chao, was gregarious and indulgent. When Ju Lian departed from the renowned garden villa of the official Chang Jingxiu, he was given several young concubines as a gift. For them Ju built his villa "Garden of the Ten Fragrances" in Fanyu. He kept it filled with visiting notables and painters, and planted the gardens in the effusive style of Chang's villa. Ju Lian's appreciation of things pretty and amusing is evident in his paintings of meticulously observed flora and fauna. As the teacher of Gao Jianfu (who in turn taught his own brother Gao Qifeng) and Chen Shufen, Ju Lian is the progenitor of the "Lingnan School" in the Guandong region, characterized by realistic images, high color and a wide range of subjects.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Insects and FlowersInsects and FlowersInsects and FlowersInsects and FlowersInsects and Flowers

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.