Bamboo groves in mist and rain : a painting of remembrance

Abstract

This dissertation explores the painting Bamboo Groves in Mist and Rain created by Guan Daosheng (1262–1319). The painting was produced in 1308, after the death of the “conceptual” recipient, the Lady of the Chu Kingdom, or Xu Jun (1247-1284). During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), artists appreciated the past by using bamboo groves as a subject for expressing nostalgia, associating it with lively conversation and gatherings among friends. In Guan’s painting, social events that occurred in bamboo groves were typically removed from society, symbolizing past interactions between her and the deceased recipient. In examining earlier examples that suggest bamboo groves symbolize a separate space for friendship to flourish, I argue that Bamboo Groves in Mist and Rain represents an imaginary world. In addition, the painting allowed the artist to revisit a place that evoked her fond memories of her deceased friend. In my interpretation, the painting was designed to move beyond the mundane and reconnect the artist with her old friend, serving as a form of remembrance.