Artwork
清 改琦 插花圖 軸|Girl Arranging Flowers
清 改琦 插花圖 軸|Girl Arranging Flowers is an ink painting by the Qing dynasty painting artist Gai Qi. It dates from 1801 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1986.267.4
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by Gai Qi in 1801, the composition focuses on this domestic activity, presenting the figure as the central subject of the hanging scroll.
The work depicts a solitary girl engaged in the act of arranging flowers, a scene classified as a genre painting. Created by Gai Qi in 1801, the composition focuses on this domestic activity, presenting the figure as the central subject of the hanging scroll. While the specific floral species and their traditional symbolic associations are not detailed in the provided records, the image represents a quiet, intimate moment of female leisure and cultivation.
The depiction aligns with the artist's known focus on elegant figures and everyday life in early 19th-century China.
Technique & Style
The work is a Qing dynasty hanging scroll executed in ink with subtle polychrome washes on silk, dating to 1801. Its support is a narrow silk panel measuring approximately 103.8 cm in height by 33.3 cm in width, typical of Chinese hanging scrolls. Gai Qi depicts a young girl engaged in flower arranging within a genre‑scene composition, employing delicate brushstrokes and restrained color to suggest three‑dimensional form. The painting was created in China and is presently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Created in 1801 by the Chinese artist Gai Qi, this hanging scroll depicts a girl arranging flowers. The work was executed using ink and color on silk. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which lists the piece as part of its holdings.
The specific circumstances regarding its original commission or its ownership history prior to entering the museum's collection are not detailed in the available records.
Overview
Created in 1801, this hanging scroll by the Qing‑era painter Gai Qi portrays a domestic scene in which a young woman arranges flowers. Executed on silk with ink and color, the work measures the typical dimensions of a scroll and allows the viewer to observe the delicate brushwork through the translucent fabric.
Context
During the early nineteenth century, Chinese genre paintings began to explore scenes of daily life, moving beyond the dominant motif of scholars in gardens. This work exemplifies that shift, offering a glimpse into the private sphere of a Qing household.
Artist & collection
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Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf A (previous leaf 4)
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Untitled
