Artwork
清 金農 墨梅圖 軸|Blossoming plum
清 金農 墨梅圖 軸|Blossoming plum is an ink painting by the Qing dynasty painting artist Jin Nong. It dates from 1759 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a plant, specifically identified as a blossoming plum, executed in ink on paper. As a hanging scroll created in 1759, the painting belongs to the landscape genre while focusing on this botanical subject. The imagery represents the plum tree, a traditional motif in Chinese art, rendered through the artist's distinctive ink technique.
Technique & Style
The work features a landscape genre composition that depicts plant life, specifically plum blossoms.
Created in 1759, Blossoming plum is executed as a hanging scroll using ink on paper. The work features a landscape genre composition that depicts plant life, specifically plum blossoms. As a monochromatic ink painting, the artist utilized the traditional medium to render the subject matter without color, relying on brushwork and tonal variation typical of the format. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Jin Nong painted Blossoming Plum in 1759 while working in China, creating a hanging scroll in ink on paper that depicts a plant. The work is recorded as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, where it has been housed since its acquisition. Its creation date is explicitly documented as 1759, and the piece was produced in China, aligning with the artist's known output during the Qing period.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. No accession number or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Jin Nong’s hanging scroll, dated 1759, presents a solitary plum branch rendered in ink on paper. The composition is monochrome, with a stark black trunk and delicate gray blossoms that suggest a light dusting of snow. The work exemplifies the artist’s late period, created when he was nearly eighty years old.
Context
During the Qianlong era, literati artists often explored monochrome ink studies, emphasizing personal expression over realistic detail. Jin Nong’s work aligns with this tradition while also reflecting his individual experimentation with brush techniques, distinguishing his approach from contemporaries who favored more elaborate coloration.
Artist & collection
