清 華喦 白芍藥圖 軸|White Peony and Rocks

Created in 1752 by the Chinese artist Hua Yan (1682–c. 1765), this hanging scroll depicts white peonies rendered in ink and color on paper. The work originated in China during the Qing dynasty. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Specific details regarding its original commission or complete chain of private ownership prior to museum acquisition are not provided in the available records. No specific accession number or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.

The hanging scroll dated 1752 by Hua Yan portrays a white peony (Paeonia) rendered in ink and color on paper. As a Qing-period flower subject, it exemplifies the refined botanical interest found in imperial art. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection has made it a reference point for scholars examining eighteenth-century Chinese painting and the development of the flower-and-bird genre.

Hua Yan's painting, White Peony and Rocks, created in 1752, is rendered with ink and color on a hanging scroll. This work exemplifies a traditional Chinese painting format, focusing on a singular floral subject. It presents a detailed depiction of a white peony in bloom, accompanied by rugged rock formations, characteristic of the artist's refined approach to nature studies.

The composition centers on a single white peony, its delicate petals subtly tinged with pink at the edges, contrasting with the deep green of its intricately veined leaves. This vibrant bloom emerges alongside sharply defined, jagged rocks. The peony, often a symbol of prosperity and honor in Chinese culture, is presented here with a sense of quiet dignity, its beauty emphasized by the starkness of its surroundings.