Herdboy and Buffalo

Herdboy and Buffalo

Ren Yi (Ren Bonian)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Throughout his career Ren explored the expressive qualities of various brush manners. In the 1880s he was particularly interested in the effects of colored wash and loose, impressionistic brushwork, and created pictures such as this softly brushed fan. The Chan (Zen) theme of herding one's nature toward enlightenment, as a herdboy guides his wayward buffalo, derives from Song-dynasty illustrations.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.