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Chinese Scholar (Li Bo) Gazing at a Waterfall

Artist Tani Bunchō (Japanese, 1763–1840)
Title Chinese Scholar (Li Bo) Gazing at a Waterfall
Date Mid 1830s
Medium Ink on paper
Dimensions Overall: 66 1/4 x 30 3/4 in. (168.3 x 78.1 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 81.69

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About this Work

This painting by Tani Bunchō features a scholar sitting on a rock ledge framed by a weathered old pine tree and gazing at a waterfall with a distant view of mountains in the mist. In the religious traditions of Daoism and Shinto, lofty mountains carry special importance. They function as points of contact between the human and immortal realms and, along with water, serve as oppositional, yet complementary, forces in the universe constructed by Daoism. Immersion in nature through actual contact or via a painting engendered spiritual renewal. In this late career painting, Bunchō’s brushwork is bold and brash, with sharp, pleasing contrasts between light and dark.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Chinese Scholar (Li Bo) Gazing at a Waterfall | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=81.69