Open full image Pin

芥子園畫傳|Seeds and Aleurities Cordata (?): Page from The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting (Jieziyuan huazhuan)

Dao Cheng

1782

ink

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Bird

Dominant colour

芥子園畫傳|Seeds and Aleurities Cordata (?): Page from The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting (Jieziyuan huazhuan) is a 1782 ink by Dao Cheng, a Romanticism work, depicting Bird, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Dao Cheng
When & what style?: 1782 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows a small yellow-and-brown bird perched on a branch. The branch has green leaves and clusters of reddish buds. The background is plain, letting the bird and leaves stand out. The artist used simple shapes and bold colors to make the bird look lively. The writing on the right side is in Chinese characters, likely the artist’s name or title. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.