Paintings after Ancient Masters: Laozi Riding an Ox

An elderly man with a long beard and thin face, wearing layered gray and white robes, rides a dark horned ox along a stony path. A red bag hangs from the saddle, and a feather-like plume rises behind him. Bamboo leaves and pale flowering branches fill the upper right of the silk.

Look closer: Red seal stamps and a signature inscription sit in the lower right corner beside the rocks.

Artist

Chen Hongshou

Date

1598–1652

Medium

album leaf; ink and color on silk

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

3085 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund