Artwork

Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems: Man with a Staff Admires Chrysanthemums at a Fence

Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems: Man with a Staff Admires Chrysanthemums at a Fence is an unspecified painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist Hua Yan. It dates from 1745 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a man holding a staff as he stands before a fence and gazes at a cluster of chrysanthemums.

The painting depicts a man holding a staff as he stands before a fence and gazes at a cluster of chrysanthemums. It is one of the illustrations in Hua Yan’s Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems, a series that pairs each scene with a verse from classical Chinese poetry. By visualizing a poetic line about chrysanthemums, the work links the figure’s quiet observation to the literary tradition of using the flower to evoke autumnal reflection and scholarly retreat.

History & Provenance

The work titled 'Man with a Staff Admires Chrysanthemums at a Fence' is the first plate of an album of landscape paintings illustrating old poems, painted in 1745 in China by the Qing‑period artist Hua Yan (1682–c.1765). It was created as part of a series that visually interprets classical verses. The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1982.68.3; the museum’s records list the acquisition as part of its permanent holdings. No earlier owners are documented, and the work remains on view in the museum’s Asian art galleries.

The leaf is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded as inventory number 1982.68.3.

It was included in the museum’s 1982 acquisition of Hua Yan’s Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems, a set of twelve leaves of which this leaf is one.

Overview

This painting, titled "Man with a Staff Admires Chrysanthemums at a Fence," is a work by the artist Hua Yan, completed in 1745. It forms part of a larger series known as "Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems." This album leaf is currently housed within the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a significant example of 18th-century Chinese landscape painting.

Technique & Style

Hua Yan rendered this scene with a subtle palette and gentle brushwork, creating an atmosphere of tranquility. The bare branches against a pale sky contribute to the understated simplicity of the landscape. The soft lines and muted colors emphasize the serene interaction between the human figure and the natural elements, characteristic of the artist's approach to capturing introspective moments within a natural setting.

Album of Landscape Paintings Illustrating Old Poems: Man Resting under Bamboo, Hua Yan

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Artist & collection

Artist

Hua Yan

Hua Yan simplified Chinese: 华嵒; traditional Chinese: 華嵒; pinyin: Huà Yán; Wade–Giles: Hua Yen; courtesy name Qiu Yue (秋岳), sobriquets Xinluo Shanren (新罗山人), Dong Yuan Sheng (东园生), Buyi Sheng (布衣生), Ligou Jushi (离垢居士)and…