Artwork
清 戴本孝 山水圖 冊|Landscapes
清 戴本孝 山水圖 冊|Landscapes is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Dai Benxiao. It dates from 1680 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The piece is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting the preservation of this genre within a major international collection.
The work titled 清 戴本孝 山水圖 冊|Landscapes is a Qing dynasty Chinese landscape painting created in 1680 by Dai Benxiao, executed in ink on paper as part of an album of twelve leaves.
It belongs to the landscape painting genre, a category that in Chinese art traditionally depicts natural scenery and often conveys a contemplative relationship between humanity and the environment.
The piece is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting the preservation of this genre within a major international collection.
Technique & Style
Created in 1680, Landscapes by Dai Benxiao is an album consisting of twelve leaves executed in ink on paper. The work belongs to the landscape genre, a classification central to the artist's output during the Qing dynasty. As an album format, the piece comprises individual leaves designed for sequential viewing rather than a single continuous surface.
The medium of ink on paper is characteristic of traditional Chinese literati painting, emphasizing tonal variation and brushwork over color.
History & Provenance
The work titled 清 戴本孝 山水圖 冊|Landscapes is an album of twelve leaves of ink on paper depicting landscapes, created by the Chinese painter Dai Benxiao in 1680 in China. It was produced as a hand‑painted album during the late Qing period. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings of Chinese landscape paintings. Its documented inception date is 1680‑01‑01, and it remains on view in the museum’s Asian art galleries.
The album of twelve ink-on-paper landscapes by Dai Benxiao, dated 1680, is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is listed as both its collection and its location. The work was produced in China and entered the museum's holdings as a painting classified within the landscape genre. No specific accession number or exhibition history is recorded in the available sources. confirms the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the holding institution, while corroborates the 1680 date and the album's medium and format.
Overview
Created in 1680, this album of twelve ink-on-paper leaves by Dai Benxiao (1621–1693) exemplifies the late Ming loyalist painter's distinctive approach to landscape. The work depicts rolling hills, jagged cliffs, and sparse vegetation traversed by a central river, rendered with a dry, sketchy brushwork that prioritizes expressive line over tonal modeling. This technique, often described as 'flying white,' reflects Dai's deep engagement with the ancient masters of the Yuan dynasty, particularly Ni Zan, whose sparse compositions and emphasis on calligraphic integrity influenced the artist's mature style.
The loose, rapid strokes and the worn texture of the paper contribute to an atmosphere of desolation and introspection, characteristic of the '遗民' (loyalist) sentiment prevalent among artists who refused to serve the new Qing dynasty. The album format allowed Dai to explore variations on these themes across twelve distinct yet thematically linked scenes. Red seals and accompanying inscriptions in Chinese calligraphy frame the imagery, integrating text and image in a manner traditional to literati painting.
This work stands as a significant example of Dai Benxiao's contribution to the Anhui school of painting, demonstrating his ability to synthesize archaic forms with a personal, emotionally charged aesthetic during the early Qing period.
Artist & collection
