Artwork
明 程嘉燧 園鷄圖 扇|Landscape with Chicken

明 程嘉燧 園鷄圖 扇|Landscape with Chicken is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist Cheng Jiasui. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 13.100.65
- Credit line
- John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work thus operates on two levels: as a pictorial study of a rooster in its setting, and as a vehicle for the symbolic associations the animal carries.
The painting depicts a rooster within a landscape setting, rendered in ink on gold paper as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf. The rooster, the sole named subject, carries long-standing symbolic resonance in Chinese visual culture as an emblem of punctuality, vigilance, and the dawn, qualities associated with its crowing at daybreak. Set against a landscape rather than an isolated figure, the bird is integrated into a natural environment, a pairing that links the creature's auspicious connotations with the broader literati tradition of inscribing moral or contemplative meaning into scenic imagery.
The work thus operates on two levels: as a pictorial study of a rooster in its setting, and as a vehicle for the symbolic associations the animal carries.
Technique & Style
The work is a folding fan that Cheng Jiasui mounted as an album leaf, applying ink on gold paper in China in 1639. It belongs to the landscape genre and portrays a rooster within a natural setting. The piece measures 16.5 cm in height and 51.8 cm in width and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As a fan‑derived format the composition is intimate, with a vertical orientation that emphasizes the bird against a subtle background.
The documentation does not record specific handling requirements or current condition details.
History & Provenance
The work titled Landscape with Chicken was produced in 1639 in China as a folding fan that was later mounted as an album leaf, using ink on gold paper. It portrays a rooster and belongs to the landscape genre. The piece was created by Cheng Jiasui, a Chinese painter of the early Qing period.
After its making, the fan entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains on view. Its dimensions measure 16.5 cm in height and 51.8 cm in width.
The work Landscape with Chicken by Cheng Jiasui is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting, created in 1639, is classified as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf executed in ink on gold paper. While the specific accession number is not provided in the available records, the museum's holdings list the piece with dimensions of 16.5 cm in height and 51.8 cm in width. No specific exhibition history or past display locations are documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Created in 1639 during the Ming dynasty, this folding‑fan painting by Cheng Jiasui presents a solitary rooster perched on a rugged outcrop. Executed on gold‑toned paper, the work combines the portable format of a fan with the compositional intimacy of an album leaf, allowing the bird to dominate the limited surface.
Context
Cheng Jiasui was known for his landscape and bird paintings, integrating literati ideals with meticulous brushwork. This piece reflects the era’s interest in combining natural observation with decorative formats, such as fans, which served both functional and artistic purposes.
Legacy
While modest in scale, the painting exemplifies Cheng’s skill in rendering animal forms with expressive ink lines. It continues to be referenced in studies of Ming‑period bird painting, illustrating the period’s nuanced approach to line, texture, and the interplay of ink on luminous ground.
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