Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Fan Hong in 1506.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Song dynasty landscape.

Untitled by Fan Hong (1506) · Meaning & Museum

Accession no.: 42.200.9
Credit line: Rogers Fund, 1942

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Created in 1506 by Fan Hong, this work is a miniature landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk.

Created in 1506 by Fan Hong, this work is a miniature landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk. The composition centers on the depiction of a pavilion, a recurring architectural motif in Chinese landscape art that often signifies a place of scholarly retreat or contemplation. As part of an album of eleven paintings, the piece utilizes the pavilion to anchor the natural scenery, inviting the viewer into a serene, idealized environment.

While the specific symbolic intent of this particular miniature is not detailed in the available records, the genre of landscape painting from this era typically represents a harmony between humanity and nature, with the pavilion serving as a focal point for human presence within the vastness of the natural world.

Technique & Style

Created in 1506, this work is a miniature landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk. It originates from an album comprising eleven individual paintings and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece depicts a pavilion within a landscape setting, a genre characteristic of the artist Fan Hong.

Physically, the support measures 12.7 cm in height and 17.1 cm in width. The work was produced in China and represents a specific format of album leaf painting where the silk support accommodates the application of both ink lines and colored pigments to define the architectural and natural elements.

History & Provenance

Fan Hong created Untitled in 1506 in China, executing it as a miniature ink and color painting on silk within an album of eleven works; the piece portrays a pavilion. The work remained in the artist’s native context until it entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed since its acquisition. Its dimensions measure 12.7 × 17.1 cm, and it is classified as a landscape painting.

The painting’s provenance thus traces from its creation by Fan Hong to its present ownership by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The painting Untitled by Fan Hong is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and is stored in its designated storage area. Its accession number is not specified in the available records, but the work is catalogued under the museum's inventory of Chinese landscape paintings. According to the source documentation, the piece dates to 1506, measures 12.7 × 17.1 cm, and is classified as a miniature from an album of eleven paintings executed in ink and color on silk.

The work depicts a pavilion and is recorded as being made in China. Exhibition history is not documented in the cited references, and no public exhibition listings are provided in the sources consulted.

Overview

Fan Hong's Untitled, created in 1506, is a delicate miniature painting rendered with ink and color on silk. This small-scale landscape, part of an album containing eleven works, depicts a serene garden pavilion nestled within misty, undulating hills. Its diminutive size encourages viewers to engage closely, offering an intimate glimpse into a meticulously rendered natural scene.