Exhibitions

Enigmas: The Art of Bada Shanren (1626-1705)

June 20, 2015 – January 3, 2016
Album of flowers, birds, insects, and fish. Bada Shanren (Zhu Da), 1626-1705, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian

Freer Gallery of Art
Jefferson Drive and 12th St., SW
Washington, DC

3rd Floor, Gallery 13

See on Map Floor Plan

Born a prince of the Ming imperial house, Bada Shanren (1626–1705) lived a storied life, remaking himself as a secluded Buddhist monk and, later, as a professional painter and calligrapher. Featured in this exhibition are examples of his most daring and idiosyncratic works, demonstrating his unique visual vocabulary. The selection of painting and calligraphy includes some of Bada Shanren's best work, dating from the 1660s through his peak professional years in the 1680s and 1690s. Also represented is his late period in the early 1700s, when he sought solitude and harmony with the natural order.