On Painting Bamboo
Fantastic China | 2023-04-10 | Views:243
On Painting Bamboo
Evergreen - as the Sun God wills
-Art exalts its upright tilt.
Deem not its lone leaves pale
-Over time they never wilt.
The valiant military commander Guan Yu (d. AD 220) is a household name in China. He was also considered a painter of bamboo, though evidence of his artistic activity is scant. This poem has been attributed to him but its style strongly suggests a much later time.