Artwork
清 胡遠 山水 扇面|Landscape
清 胡遠 山水 扇面|Landscape is an ink painting by the Qing dynasty painting artist Hu Yuan. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in 1854 by Hu Yuan (also known as Hu Gongshou), this work is a landscape painting rendered in ink and color on gold-flecked paper.
Executed in 1854 by Hu Yuan (also known as Hu Gongshou), this work is a landscape painting rendered in ink and color on gold-flecked paper. The composition depicts a mountainous scene, adhering to the traditional Chinese landscape genre. Originally created as a folding fan, the piece has been mounted as an album leaf.
While the specific arrangement of natural elements follows established conventions for depicting mountains, the available records do not elaborate on further specific iconographic details, symbolic attributes, or deeper allegorical meanings beyond the general representation of a mountain environment.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1854 by Hu Yuan (also known as Hu Gongshou), this landscape work utilizes ink and color applied to gold-flecked paper. The piece originates as a folding fan but has been remounted as an album leaf, a conservation practice that preserves the delicate support while altering its original functional format. The composition depicts mountainous terrain, adhering to traditional landscape genres.
Physically, the artwork measures 18.1 cm in height and 51.4 cm in width. The use of gold-flecked paper as a ground provides a luminous background that interacts with the applied pigments and ink washes, characteristic of certain Qing dynasty fan paintings intended for refined aesthetic appreciation.
History & Provenance
The work titled 清 胡遠 山水 扇面|Landscape was created in 1854 in China by the Qing dynasty painter Hu Yuan, also recorded as Hu Gongshou. It is a folding fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on gold‑flecked paper and classified as a landscape painting that depicts a mountain. The painting’s inception is recorded as 1854‑01‑01, with dimensions 18.1 cm × 51.4 cm. It is presently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a landscape work.
The folding fan landscape by Hu Yuan, dated 1854, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified as a painting and depicts a mountain scene executed in ink and color on gold-flecked paper. While the artist is identified as Hu Yuan in some records, the creator is also attributed to Hu Gongshou within the museum's documentation.
The physical dimensions of the piece are recorded as 18.1 cm in height and 51.4 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain specific accession numbers, inventory codes, or records of past exhibitions for this object.
Overview
Created in 1854 by the Qing dynasty painter Hu Yuan, this landscape is executed as a folding fan leaf mounted as an album leaf. The work features ink and color applied to gold-flecked paper, a material choice that integrates the shimmering surface into the composition itself. Depicting a misty mountain scene, the painting includes towering peaks, a cascading waterfall, and a solitary traveler crossing a bridge.
The composition relies on the artist's ability to suggest vast natural grandeur within the intimate, circular format of the fan. Hu Yuan, active during the mid-19th century, utilized the small scale to demand precision; every brushstroke, from the rendering of pine trees to the suggestion of clouds, is economical yet distinct. The gold flecks in the paper interact with the light, adding a luminous quality to the atmospheric perspective.
This piece exemplifies the tradition of literati landscape painting adapted for personal use, where the object functions both as a portable accessory and a refined artistic statement. The work reflects the continued vitality of the landscape genre in the late Qing period, balancing traditional compositional elements with the specific constraints and aesthetic opportunities of the fan format.
Context
As an artwork originally created on a folding fan, this piece was intended for personal interaction rather than static display on a wall. Such fans were commonly held and admired up close, allowing for an intimate engagement with the detailed brushwork and subtle effects. Its current mounting as an album leaf transforms its presentation while preserving its original scale and the delicate nature of its execution.
Artist & collection
