A branch of bamboo, by Ni Zan 倪瓚 (1306-1374), Inscription by Qian Weishan (1341-ca. 1379), Yuan or Ming dynasty, ca. 1369, 11 9/16 x 11 7/16 in. (F1915.36d) © 2026 Smithsonian Institution

In this painting, the artist Ni Zan (1306–1374) chooses a simple and clean arrangement: the diagonal composition. A stem of bamboo is silhouetted against a plain background and ascends from the lower left corner to the upper right corner in a slight arc. The branches are light and sketchy. The leaves, stretching outward and upward, release a dynamic vitality. The painting is done in monochrome (single color) ink. The brush strokes are the same as in calligraphy for writing Chinese characters. The poet Qian Weishan (act. 1341–ca. 1379) added a few brief lines at upper left to honor Ni Zan after his death:

My old friend knew how to sketch bamboo,

And patterned his approach upon Wen Tong [eleventh century painter].

Calmly he looked out the western window,

And the cool wind filled his page with fall.

(Translation by Stephen D. Allee)