Artwork
明 陳祼 茂樹清泉圖 扇|Recluse washing his feet in a stream
明 陳祼 茂樹清泉圖 扇|Recluse washing his feet in a stream is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Chen Guan. It dates from 1629 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, having entered the museum through its Chinese painting holdings.
The work is a folding fan that was mounted as an album leaf and painted in ink with subtle color washes on paper. Executed in 1506 by Chen Guan, it belongs to the Chinese landscape tradition and depicts a recluse washing his feet in a stream. The fan measures roughly 16.5 cm in height and 49.8 cm in width, reflecting the scale typical of hand‑held devotional images.
Its composition balances delicate brush lines with muted tonal modulation, characteristic of early Ming‑era landscape painting. The piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, having entered the museum through its Chinese painting holdings.
History & Provenance
Chen Guan painted Recluse Washing His Feet in a Stream in 1506, executing the work in ink and color on paper as a folding fan later remounted as an album leaf. The painting was produced in China during the Ming dynasty and entered the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held as part of the museum's collection of paintings.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as recorded in its collection records. According to Wikidata documentation, the work forms part of the museum's holdings and is catalogued as a painting by Chen Guan.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Recluse washing his feet in a stream is a landscape painting by Chen Guan, created in 1629. Executed in ink and color on paper, it was originally a folding fan before being mounted as an album leaf. The artwork presents a natural scene featuring trees, hills, and rocks, characteristic of traditional Chinese landscape art, and includes Chinese characters in the upper left corner.
Subject & Meaning
The painting's title, "Recluse washing his feet in a stream," suggests a theme of withdrawal from worldly affairs, a common motif in Chinese literati art. The serene depiction of trees, hills, and rocks within the landscape evokes an environment suitable for contemplation and solitude. This imagery often represents an idealized escape into nature, reflecting philosophical ideals prevalent during the Ming dynasty.
Context
Created in 1629, this painting dates to the late Ming dynasty, a period when literati painting traditions were well-established. Artists frequently explored themes of nature and reclusion, often reflecting personal sentiments and broader philosophical currents. The format of a folding fan, later mounted as an album leaf, was a popular medium for such intimate landscape studies, intended for close appreciation.
Artist & collection
