# Plum, Pine, and Bamboo

- By: Xugu (Chinese, 1823-1896)
- Date: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), mid- to late 19th century
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 147.9 × 81.3 cm (58 1/4 × 32 in.)
- Culture: China
- Credit line: Gift of Florence Ayscough and Harley Farnsworth MacNair
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/46487)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/e0b99f9a-bc16-43b7-511e-1c0249e11ef5/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This painting presents the overlapping branches of pine, plum, and bamboo trees—three species traditionally asso-ciated with integrity because of their enduring nature. Xugu, originally named Zhu Huairen, was a military officer who gave up his career to become a Chan Buddhist monk during the Taiping Rebellion (1850–64). After wander-ing the cities to sell his paintings, he settled in Shanghai and became a prominent member of the art world there. Xugu excelled at capturing lively impressions of plants and animals, such as bamboo, wisteria, squirrels, and fish.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0