Artwork
明 董其昌 山水圖詩 冊|Landscapes and Poems
明 董其昌 山水圖詩 冊|Landscapes and Poems is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Dong Qichang. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1630 by Dong Qichang, the eight-page set combines ink, color, and calligraphy on gold-flecked paper to present these natural forms.
The album depicts mountain landscapes, serving as the primary visual subject of the work. Created in 1630 by Dong Qichang, the eight-page set combines ink, color, and calligraphy on gold-flecked paper to present these natural forms. As a landscape painting, the imagery focuses on the representation of mountains rather than narrative scenes or portraits.
The inclusion of accompanying poems alongside the painted mountains suggests an integration of literary and visual elements, typical of the genre, though the specific symbolic meaning of individual peaks is not detailed in the available records. The work represents a synthesis of painting and poetry centered on the mountain motif within the context of Chinese art from the Ming period.
Technique & Style
Created in 1630, this album consists of eight paintings and eight calligraphies executed on gold-flecked paper. The artist employed ink and color alongside gold to produce the works, which measure approximately 32.1 cm in height and 23.2 cm in width. As a landscape album, the pieces depict mountainous subjects rendered with a combination of painted imagery and calligraphic text.
The use of gold-flecked paper serves as a distinctive support that interacts with the ink and pigment, a material choice characteristic of high-quality Ming dynasty albums. The formal composition integrates visual landscape elements with poetic inscriptions within the same album structure, reflecting the artist's synthesis of painting and calligraphy.
History & Provenance
The work titled 明 董其昌 山水圖詩 冊, also known as Landscapes and Poems, is an album comprising eight paintings and eight calligraphies executed in ink, gold and colored pigments on gold‑flecked paper. Dong Qichang created the piece in 1630 in China, as recorded in the catalogue entry and corroborated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s metadata, which lists the work as part of its collection and identifies it as a landscape painting depicting a mountain. The album entered the museum’s holdings through a documented acquisition, placing it in the institution’s care since its addition to the collection.
The album 明 董其昌 山水圖詩 冊, also titled Landscapes and Poems, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in New York. The museum's catalog records its location as the Met but do not provide an explicit accession or inventory number. No exhibition history for this work is documented in the sources consulted.
The available documentation only confirms its presence in the Met's holdings as a landscape painting created by Dong Qichang in 1630.
Overview
Created in 1630 by the Ming dynasty scholar-official Dong Qichang, Landscapes and Poems is an album featuring eight distinct paintings alongside eight calligraphic works. Executed with ink, gold, and subtle colors on paper flecked with gold, this collection exemplifies the era's artistic practices. The album primarily depicts misty mountainous terrains, a prevalent theme within Chinese painting traditions of the period.
Context
As a prominent Ming dynasty scholar, politician, and art theorist, Dong Qichang significantly influenced the artistic discourse of his time. His work, including this album, reflects a deep engagement with established painting traditions. He advocated for a return to and reinterpretation of ancient styles, believing that artistic excellence lay in synthesizing the wisdom of past masters rather than in mere mimetic representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
