Artwork
Chinese Beauty
Chinese Beauty is an unspecified painting by the Ukiyo-e artist Kubo Shunman. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains today, having been acquired as part of the museum's holdings (1988.
Kubo Shunman painted Chinese Beauty in 1800 while working in Japan, as documented in the work's creation record. The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains today, having been acquired as part of the museum's holdings (1988.1).
Chinese Beauty, a painting by Kubo Shunman dated 1800, is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work's accession number at the museum is 1988.1, as indicated in the Wikidata record for the piece. It was created in Japan and subsequently entered the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, where it remains. No exhibition history beyond its presence in the museum's holdings is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1800 by the Edo‑period artist Kubo Shunman, this hanging scroll, titled Chinese Beauty, is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a solitary female figure rendered in delicate ink and color, set against a muted golden backdrop that includes stylised foliage and distant rocks.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman dressed in an elegant, flowing robe trimmed in vivid red and green. She holds a fan, her posture relaxed yet poised, suggesting a moment of private contemplation. Her hair is arranged neatly with ornamental flowers, and a dark blue sash drapes across her shoulder, indicating refined courtly attire.
Technique & Style
Shunman employs fine line work to delineate the intricate patterns on the robe, while washes of soft pigment create a subtle contrast with the warm, golden background. The wide sleeves and the gentle curvature of the surrounding foliage are rendered with a light, almost lyrical brushstroke characteristic of late‑eighteenth‑century Japanese genre painting.
Artist & collection
