Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Gong Ji. It dates from 1777 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 29.160.28
- Credit line
- H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition belongs to the landscape genre and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The painting depicts a rabbit as its central figurative element, rendered in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll in 1777. The composition belongs to the landscape genre and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Measuring 67.3 cm in height and 40.6 cm in width, the piece conforms to the proportions typical of Chinese hanging scrolls from the period.
The rabbit functions as the primary subject within this Chinese artistic tradition, appearing as a distinct motif in the work.
Technique & Style
Created in 1777, this hanging scroll employs ink and color applied to a silk support. The work measures 67.3 cm in height and 40.6 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece is classified as a landscape painting, yet its primary subject is a rabbit.
The artwork originates from China and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1777, a date established by both the museum's cataloguing and the Wikidata record, which specifies the inception as 1777-01-01. It was produced in China as a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk. The artist is recorded only as Gong Ji or, alternatively, as an unidentified painter, leaving the attribution unresolved. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held.
The ownership chain prior to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is not documented in the available sources, and no commission history is recorded.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as part of the museum's holdings of paintings. According to the available records, the painting's location is listed as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the institution is named as its collection.
No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources. Likewise, no exhibition history is documented in the materials reviewed.
Overview
Created in 1777 by Gong Ji, this hanging scroll presents a quiet landscape rendered on silk with ink and color. The composition centers on two rabbits positioned in a grassy setting, one feeding on a leaf while the other sits alert. Though the work is more than three centuries old, the depiction retains a vivid immediacy that draws the viewer into the scene.
Context
During the late eighteenth century, Chinese painters often explored intimate natural subjects, moving beyond grand court scenes to capture quotidian moments. Gong Ji’s choice of rabbits, a common motif symbolizing fertility and vigilance, places the work within a broader tradition of animal representation that served both decorative and allegorical purposes.
Artist & collection
