Who painted 明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks?

明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks was painted by Lü Ji in late 15th century.

Where can I see 明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks?

明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks?

明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

明呂紀秋景花鳥圖軸|Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks by Lü Ji (late 15th century)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk, the composition centers on these avian subjects within their environment.

The work depicts a naturalistic autumn landscape featuring ducks and egrets amidst a seasonal setting. As a landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk, the composition centers on these avian subjects within their environment. The depiction of specific bird species, including ducks and egrets, alongside the autumnal scenery, establishes the piece as a representation of nature observed during the fall season.

While the specific symbolic interpretations of these birds in this context are not detailed in the provided records, the visual content focuses on the coexistence of these creatures within the landscape genre, characteristic of the artist's approach to nature.

Technique & Style

The work is executed as a hanging scroll in ink and color on silk, a traditional support and medium pairing favored by Ming-dynasty bird-and-flower painters. Lü Ji's handling reflects the academic court style of the period, combining meticulous, fine-brushed delineation of the egrets and ducks with broader washes of ink and color to render the autumn landscape setting. The silk ground allows for layered washes that produce both the saturated plumage tones and the atmospheric recession of the surrounding scenery.

Compositionally, the painting integrates the bird-and-flower subject within a landscape format, balancing detailed naturalism in the fauna with more generalized treatment of the environment. No specific condition notes are recorded in the available documentation.

History & Provenance

Created in 1483 in China, Autumn Landscape with Egrets and Ducks is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk by the Ming dynasty artist Lü Ji. The work depicts birds, specifically egrets and ducks, within a landscape setting. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

While the specific commission details and the full chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not detailed in the available records, the piece is firmly dated to the early Ming period and attributed to Lü Ji based on the established cataloging of his oeuvre.

The hanging scroll titled Autumn landscape with egrets and ducks by the Ming dynasty artist Lü Ji is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created in 1483, the work is classified as a landscape painting depicting birds and ducks on silk. While the provided records confirm its location within the museum's holdings and its creation date, they do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for this specific entry. Furthermore, the available sources contain no information regarding the artwork's exhibition history or past public displays.

Overview

Created in 1483 by the Ming dynasty court painter Lü Ji, Autumn Landscape with Egrets and Ducks is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk. The composition features two white egrets standing in shallow water alongside a small group of ducks, set against a rising rocky hill under a pale sky. Lü Ji employs a distinctive balance between detailed realism and atmospheric suggestion; the birds and rocks are rendered with precise brushwork and vibrant pigments, while the surrounding space remains largely unpainted.

This extensive use of negative space is a deliberate aesthetic choice rooted in Chinese painting traditions, emphasizing the harmony between subjects and their environment rather than depicting a fully populated scene. As a representative work of the Zhe School, the painting demonstrates Lü Ji's mastery in combining the meticulous detail of the Academy style with the expressive freedom of literati painting. The work exemplifies the artist's ability to capture the seasonal essence of autumn through the specific behavior of waterfowl and the texture of the landscape, securing his reputation as a leading figure in Ming court art.