Skip to main content
  1. Art
  2. The Collection

Bird of Longevity on Pine Branch

Ding Yanyong

Artwork Details

Bird of Longevity on Pine Branch
Mid-19th century
Ding Yanyong
ink on paper
59 1/2 in x 17 3/8 in (151.13 cm x 44.13 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
1983/2.154

Tags

Description

Ding Yanyong
Chinese, 1902–1978
Bird of Longevity on Pine Branch
China, Modern period (1912–present)
Mid 19th century
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection
Fund, 1983/2.154

Longevity is a popular theme in the Chinese ink painting tradition. An old and twisted pine tree is often used as a metaphor for a long life, and it was cherished by Chinese scholars as a symbol of independence and integrity of character.

Ding Yanyong’s painting is a highly idiosyncratic exploration of this theme, apparent in the ambiguity of the figure-ground relationship (it is difficult, for example, to decide which is closer, the hanging branch or the main trunk of the tree), the sketchy depiction of the tree and bird, and the sense that the bird has been pasted onto the tree trunk. The bird’s odd facial expression would have evoked for a knowledgeable viewer the work of the painter Bada Shanren (1626–1705), an eccentric early Qing dynasty (1644–1912) painter who was acclaimed for his originality.

Subject Matter:

Ding Yangyong's painting is a highly idiosyncratic exploration of the theme of longevity, in which an old and twisted pine tree is used as a metaphor for a long life. There is an ambiguity in the figure-ground relationship through the sketchy depiction of the tree and bird, and the sense that the bird has been pasted onto the tree trunk. The bird's odd facial expression is also evocative of the work of the Qing Dynasty painter Bada Shanren. 

Physical Description:

A bird is perched on a branch on the upper right with its tail extending to the left of the painting. The bottom right has a branch with a knot in the middle and a signature to the left of the knot. Coming down from the top of the print on the left is a pine branch. 

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.