One Hundred Cranes 百鶴圖
Shen Quan (Chinese, fl. 1725-1780)
Qing dynasty (1644–1912) 清朝, 1725-80
- Medium
- Handscroll; ink and light color on silk
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- 30.3 × 381.7 cm (11 15/16 × 150 5/16 in.)
- Culture
- China
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of Asia
- Credit line
- Gift of Mrs. Richard Q. Livingston in memory of her husband, Richard Quigley Livingston
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
Cranes are closely associated with long life, wisdom, and transcendence, and their great number in this painting amplifies these meanings. One hundred cranes fill a tranquil landscape, creating a powerful emblem of longevity and fulfillment. Set amid mountains, water, and open sky, the birds embody harmony between the natural and cosmic realms. Images of cranes were often read as visual blessings and favored as birthday gifts: They expressed wishes for enduring vitality in a long, well-ordered life.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
