Shen Kai (Chinese, active mid-18th century)
Geese on a Riverbank
INV-2124
Shen Kai (Chinese, active mid-18th century)Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1750
Geese on a Riverbank
Shen Kai (Chinese, active mid-18th century) →Chinese (culture or style)hanging scrollpainting
Date
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1750
Medium
Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk
Dimensions
77 × 96 cm (30 1/4 × 37 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Avery Brundage Fund
Depicting wild geese on a reed-fringed riverbank, this painting evokes themes of retreat, seasonal change, and
poetic reflection. Brilliantly colored feathers contrast with the subtle ink rendering of branches, leaves, and chrysanthemums, merging vivid realism with quiet lyricism. The resulting scene reflects artist Shen Kai’s technical and expressive skill.
By the 17th century, Chinese bird-and-flower paintings like this one were widely admired in Japan. Acquired by a Japanese collector in China at the end of the Qing dynasty, the work was later remounted in the Japanese style, with two vertical strips of highly decorative silk attached to the upper rod.
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