Rouleau des vagabonds, 28x384 cm, collection du Cleveland Museum of Art
Ming Dynasty master Zhou Chen traded elegant scholars for the gritty reality of street life in this expansive handscroll. The large calligraphy on the right identifies it as a picture of 'refugees' (liumin)—often mistaken for rogues—depicting a ragtag procession of vagrants carrying bundles, leaning on staffs, and leading dogs. It’s a rare, compassionate look at the suffering of commoners during a famine, executed with the same brushwork precision usually reserved for nobility. The long columns of text on the left suggest later collectors were deeply moved by the scene, adding their own poetic reactions to the tragedy.
- Technique
- Ink and color on paper
- Material
- Paper
- Dimensions
- 28 x 384 cm
Location: Cleveland Museum of Art