This painting by Lu Yuan, a 19th century artist of the Qing dynasty, depicts slender bamboos growing among large and small rocks. As one of the Four Noble Plants, bamboo symbolizes the virtues of the literati, as it remains green even in the cold of winter. The bamboo and
rocks are rendered using lines and dots, creating a clean and serene atmosphere. By using the natural light and shading of ink tones, he conveys a strong sense of space within the bamboo grove. In the lower right corner are the four characters “Yu Shan Lu Yuan”, along with the artist’s seal bearing the name “Lu Yuan.”