Artwork
Untitled

Untitled is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist Jin Nong. It dates from 1754 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A rabbit sits under a persimmon branch, its leaves and fruit hanging overhead. Jin Nong painted it in 1754, late in a life already known for calligraphy, and the rabbit looks almost posed. The quick, confident brushstrokes show how ink on paper allows no erasing and no second tries.
Technique & Style
8 centimeters, are characteristic of intimate album-leaf painting intended for close, handheld contemplation rather than wall display.
The work is an album comprising twelve paintings executed in ink and color on paper, a traditional East Asian format that allows for sequential viewing of individual leaves. The modest dimensions of each leaf, approximately 28.6 by 23.8 centimeters, are characteristic of intimate album-leaf painting intended for close, handheld contemplation rather than wall display. The mixed use of ink with applied color on a paper support enabled the artist to render a varied iconographic program across the album, encompassing birds, cats, a deer, fruit, a human figure, and a rabbit within the still-life genre.
This combination of monochrome ink and selective color on absorbent paper is consistent with Qing-dynasty literati practice, in which brushwork, tonal modulation, and the texture of the support are integral to the aesthetic effect.
History & Provenance
Created in 1754 in China, this work is an album comprising twelve leaves executed in ink and color on paper by the artist Jin Nong. The piece, titled Untitled, depicts a variety of subjects including birds, cats, deer, fruit, human figures, and rabbits. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where individual leaves measure approximately 28.6 by 23.8 centimeters.
While the specific commission details and intermediate ownership history are not provided in the available records, the work's inception date and current institutional location are established.
The painting Untitled (1754) by Jin Nong is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its presence in the museum's holdings is documented in the institution's catalog records, which list the work as part of the museum's Asian art collection. No specific accession or inventory number is published in the available sources.
Exhibition records for the piece are not identified in the provided documentation, indicating that the work has not been featured in publicly listed exhibitions to date.
Overview
This untitled work by Jin Nong, created in 1754, is one of twelve paintings from an album executed in ink and color on paper. It presents a small, serene rabbit seated beneath a branch of a persimmon tree, from which leaves and ripe fruit hang. The composition highlights the animal's calm presence within a natural setting, characteristic of the artist's late-career output.
Subject & Meaning
The central subject of this painting is a rabbit, rendered with an air of composure and stillness, almost as if captured in a formal sitting. It rests beneath a persimmon branch, which extends into the frame with its distinctive leaves and round fruits. This portrayal imbues the animal with a quiet dignity, inviting contemplation of its natural presence within the depicted environment.
Context
This painting dates to 1754, a period late in Jin Nong's life when he had already established considerable renown as a calligrapher. While celebrated for his literary script, he also turned his artistic attention to painting, often employing a distinctive, spare style. This work exemplifies his mature period, where his calligraphic discipline likely informed the confident brushwork evident in his pictorial compositions.
Artist & collection













