Peony

Ren Xiong

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Uprooted during the turbulent years of the Taiping Rebellion, Ren Xiong, eldest of the Four Rens settled in Shanghai in his later years and became an influential painter of popular subjects: flowers and birds, sages and heroes. Ren's richly decorative fan is an interpretation of the 18th century "boneless" (ink without outline) style. Ren renders presence through the lush fullness of ink without painting an organically coherent plant; you will look in vain for a stem to support the heavy bud; it has a less cerebral appeal and evokes a real world of rooted plants, rough stone pots and contrasting textures.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art