An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Immortal Rock1878
Artist: Wang Yin
Chinese, 1829 - 1892
block of text with 4 seals at top; irregularly-shaped rock below, with holes and crevices
52 1/2 x 19 1/16 in. (133.35 x 48.42 cm) (image)
75 13/16 x 24 1/2 in. (192.56 x 62.23 cm) (without roller)
Ink on satin
Hanging scroll
China
19th century
The Wurtele Chinese Paintings Fund
In the heart of Jiangsu province, where ancient traditions intertwine with the gentle flow of the Yangtze River, a boy named Wang Yin opened his eyes to the beauty of life. Born in the illustrious city of Nanjing, he would later find his canvas amidst the buzzing streets of Shanghai, where the echoes of the past met the ambitions of the present.
Wang, a professional artist, carried the rich heritage of literati values deep within his soul. He wasn’t just about brush strokes and pigments; he sought to fuse art with philosophy. With pen in hand, he authored manuals that reflected his mastery over timeless subjects: the delicate plum, the graceful orchid, the resilient bamboo, and the stoic rock—all manifestations of nature’s poetry.
Among these subjects, there lay a particular treasure, a taihu garden rock, etched with the essence of Daoism. Its form, rhythmic and flowing, bore witness to the passage of time, pierced through with holes both large and small—each crevice a testament to nature’s unwavering power of change. Like life, this rock had endured the rigors and erosions of existence, staring into the face of eternity.
Etched onto the stone was a haunting inscription by Wang, his words woven with the threads of memory and longing: “When the phoenix flew away, heaven turned cold and the green ‘Wutong’ tree died as did the grass. The rock perch alone remained; it stood in the clouds and awaited the ordinary birds. The phoenix call at sunrise lasted three thousand years. It was the end of the world."
As his thoughts drifted, Wang envisioned the haunting beauty of moonlight. “I often stop playing the 'Qin' under the moonlight,” he reflected, “It seems an immortal has emerged from the moon.” Here, beneath the soft glow of the celestial orb, Wang captured fragments of the universe in a moment of quiet reverie.
This remarkable piece, completed by his hand in the winter of the twelfth month, 1878, resonated from Kyoto—a place where the past and present dance in unison, where each brushstroke whispers secrets of the heart. In the serene spirit of introspection, Wang Yin's creation calls forth the soul of nature and art, reminding all who gaze upon it of the beauty that emerges from the passage of time.
About the artist
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