Artwork
粟に燕図|Millet and Sparrows
粟に燕図|Millet and Sparrows is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Geiai. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery aligns with the genre of landscape painting, emphasizing the observation of nature rather than a narrative or allegorical story.
The work depicts a natural scene featuring birds perched among plants, specifically identified as sparrows and millet. As a hanging scroll executed in ink on paper, the composition focuses on the interaction between the avian subjects and the vegetation. The imagery aligns with the genre of landscape painting, emphasizing the observation of nature rather than a narrative or allegorical story.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this piece, which presents the birds and plants as the sole visual elements of the artwork.
Technique & Style
Geiai's Millet and Sparrows is executed as a hanging scroll using ink on paper. Created in 1550, the work falls within the landscape genre while depicting specific natural elements, namely birds and plants. The medium of ink on paper supports the artist's rendering of these subjects, characteristic of the period's Japanese painting traditions.
The physical format of the hanging scroll indicates the intended method of display and handling for this artwork.
History & Provenance
Created in 1550 in Japan, Millet and Sparrows is a hanging scroll executed in ink on paper by the artist Geiai. The work depicts birds and plants, specifically millet and sparrows as indicated by its title. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The hanging scroll titled 粟に燕図 (Millet and Sparrows) was created by Geiai in 1550 in Japan. It is an ink-on-paper work classified as a landscape painting and depicts birds and plants. The artwork is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is part of the museum’s collection; the accession number is not specified in the sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the available records. The piece entered the museum’s collection at an unspecified date and remains on display in the Asian art galleries.
Overview
This hanging scroll, titled Millet and Sparrows, is an ink painting on paper by the artist Geiai, created around 1550. It presents a natural scene featuring two sparrows amidst bending stalks of millet. The work exemplifies a common theme in East Asian painting, focusing on elements from the natural world rendered with expressive brushwork and a minimalist aesthetic.
Context
While the artwork itself provides a clear visual statement, details regarding the artist Geiai remain largely unknown. Information about their life, including precise birth and death dates, is scarce. This lack of biographical data places Millet and Sparrows within a broader context of artworks from which the creators' personal histories have largely faded, leaving the work to speak for itself.
Artist & collection
