  About the Artwork
  
  
  The Chinese concept of our fleeting existence in the boundless universe is expressed in Wen Zhengming’s painting and calligraphic rendition of Su Shi’s classic poem written in 1082. Three scholars are depicted contemplating life and nature over wine on a moonlight Yangzi River cruise at the foot of the scenic Red Cliffs. Part of the poem reads:
 
“The clear breeze over the river, or 
the bright moon between the hills,
These we may take… free,
And they will never be used up.
These are the endless treasures of 
the Creator
Here for you and me to enjoy together.”
  
  
  Title
  The First Prose Poem on the Red Cliff
  
  
  Artwork Date
  1558
  
  Artist
  Wen Zhengming
  
  
  
  Life Dates
  1470-1559
  
  
  
  
  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  Chinese
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
  ----------
  
  
  Medium
  Ink on paper
  
  
  Dimensions
  Installed: 97 5/16 × 23 1/8 inches (247.2 × 58.7 cm)
  Image: 56 5/16 × 13 3/16 inches (143 × 33.5 cm)
  Mount: 94 3/16 × 19 5/8 inches (239.2 × 49.8 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Paintings
  
  
  Department
  Asian Art
  
  
  Credit
  Founders Society Purchase, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation Fund
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  76.3
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
