Artwork

明董其昌倣倪瓚山水圖軸|Landscape with Trees in the Manner of Ni Zan (1301–1374)

明董其昌倣倪瓚山水圖軸|Landscape with Trees in the Manner of Ni Zan (1301–1374) is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Dong Qichang. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Executed in 1624 by Dong Qichang, it follows the compositional language of Ni Zan, emphasizing minimalistic brushwork and a contemplative natural motif.

The work presents trees rendered in ink on paper as a hanging scroll. Executed in 1624 by Dong Qichang, it follows the compositional language of Ni Zan, emphasizing minimalistic brushwork and a contemplative natural motif. Within the landscape genre, the trees function as the central visual element, reflecting the literati interest in understated representations of nature. The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1624, this work by Dong Qichang is a hanging scroll rendered in monochrome ink on paper. The painting belongs to the landscape genre and depicts trees executed in a manner that emulates the style of the Yuan-period master Ni Zan. The work was produced in China and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

Created in 1624, this hanging scroll on paper was executed by the Ming dynasty artist Dong Qichang. The work depicts a landscape featuring trees, rendered in the style of the earlier master Ni Zan. It originated in China and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No specific accession number or exhibition history is detailed in the provided sources.

Context

Dong Qichang's hanging scroll Landscape with Trees in the Manner of Ni Zan, executed in 1624 with ink on paper, exemplifies Ming-dynasty landscape painting that references the Yuan master Ni Zan. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Scholarship situates the piece within Dong Qichang's broader theoretical engagement with earlier masters, reflecting the early-modern scholarly interest in emulating Ni Zan's compositional economy.

Overview

This hanging scroll, titled Landscape with Trees in the Manner of Ni Zan, was created by the prominent Ming dynasty artist Dong Qichang (1555–1636) around 1624. Executed in ink on paper, the work exemplifies the period's painting traditions. It presents a serene landscape featuring trees and a subtle topography, demonstrating Dong's interpretive approach to historical artistic precedents.

元倪瓚虞山林壑圖軸|Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu, Ni Zan

Artist & collection

Artist

Dong Qichang

Dong Qichang (Chinese: 董其昌; pinyin: Dǒng Qíchāng; Wade–Giles: Tung Ch'i-ch'ang; courtesy name Xuanzai (玄宰); 1555–1636) was a Chinese art theorist, calligrapher, painter, and politician of the later period of the Ming dynasty.