Untitled
1922
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1922
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Untitled is a 1922 ink by Kuang Xü|Empress Dowager Cixi, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This painting shows a single branch with white flowers and leaves against a deep red background. The flowers are simple but detailed, with small buds and a few berries scattered along the stem. The red background is solid, making the white branch stand out clearly. The artist used a printing method where ink was pressed into the paper to create the design. This technique makes the lines look clean and precise. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to create shading and depth.
Cixi started printing her own portraits in the 1920s when she was well past 70, cutting the woodblocks herself because the hired carvers kept softening her famously sharp gaze.
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