Who painted 五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank?

五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank was painted by Dong Yuan in 956.

Where can I see 五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank?

五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank?

五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

Artwork

五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank

Dong Yuan , 956

五代傳董元溪岸圖軸|Riverbank is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Dong Yuan. It dates from 956 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Riverbank is an ink and color painting on silk, presented as a hanging scroll.

Accession no.: 2016.750
Credit line: Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of Oscar L. Tang Family, in memory of Douglas Dillon, 2016

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work exemplifies the genre's focus on natural scenery, rendering water and rock in ink and subtle color on silk.

The hanging scroll by Dong Yuan, titled Riverbank, portrays a tranquil riverbank set against a distant mountain, a composition typical of Five Dynasties Chinese landscape painting. The work exemplifies the genre's focus on natural scenery, rendering water and rock in ink and subtle color on silk. By emphasizing the interplay of river and mountain, the piece reflects the period's aesthetic concern with harmonious representation of the natural world, a theme central to Chinese artistic tradition.

Technique & Style

Riverbank is executed as a hanging scroll utilizing ink and color applied directly onto silk support. Classified as a landscape painting, the work depicts a composition featuring mountains and a river, characteristic of the genre's focus on natural scenery. The medium of ink and pigment on silk reflects traditional Chinese painting techniques associated with the Five Dynasties period.

The format as a hanging scroll indicates its intended mode of display and handling within the context of Chinese art traditions.

History & Provenance

The hanging scroll Riverbank (Chinese: 溪岸圖) attributed to the Five Dynasties painter Dong Yuan is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The work is listed as a landscape painting on silk, created in China during the Five Dynasties period. The painting is classified within the museum's Paintings department under the landscape genre, reflecting its depiction of river and mountain scenery.

Overview

Riverbank is an ink and color painting on silk, presented as a hanging scroll. Attributed to Dong Yuan from the Five Dynasties period, this work is among the oldest surviving Chinese paintings, dating back over a millennium. It depicts a serene landscape featuring a winding river, gentle hills, sparse trees, and small human dwellings, all enveloped in a soft, atmospheric mist.