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First/Hand Fridays for Harvard Students—Ten Thousand Bamboo in Mist and Rain: A Poetic Journey

A detail of a handscroll, featuring bamboo stalks and mist.
Jin Wenjin (Jin Jin) 金文璡 (金璡), Ten Thousand Bamboo in Mist and Rain, 1438. Handscroll; ink on paper; with artist inscription and signature reading “Jin Jin Yanhui Xie”; multiple colophons. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Edward B. Bruce Collection of Chinese Paintings; Gift of Galen L. Stone, 1923.156.

Seminar

In-Person
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

This event does not require registration; see further details below.

Join us for First/Hand Fridays—monthly events in the Art Study Center where museum staff bring original works of art out of storage for Harvard students to discuss and enjoy!

In this First/Hand Fridays session, experience a rare opportunity to view the 15th-century Chinese handscroll Ten Thousand Bamboo in Mist and Rain in its entirety. This intimate session will unroll the full 30-foot ink bamboo painting, revealing parts typically hidden due to display limitations.

Together, we’ll unpack the artistic vocabulary of the Chinese ink bamboo tradition, explore the poetic and symbolic meanings of bamboo, and discuss how painting, calligraphy, and poetry intersected in 15th-century Suzhou, where the handscroll originated. This communal journey invites participants to reflect on art, nature, and the connections between them in this unique format.

First/Hand Fridays take place on the first Friday of each month. In these specially designed sessions for students, you’ll experience art like never before: get up close and personal with works you can’t see in the galleries, chat with our staff about objects they love, and explore the many ways you can engage with our collections—whether for a class or just for fun.

Students are free to drop by any time beginning at 2pm (keep in mind the event ends at 4pm). Just be sure you sign in at the Art Study Center reception desk on Level 4, and be prepared to show your HUID. Please place all coats and bags in a locker before entering the study room.

The Harvard Art Museums offer free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance. Please include the name and date of the program in the subject line of your email.