Who painted 宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall?

宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall was painted by Li Tang in 13th century.

Where can I see 宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall?

宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall?

宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall is associated with Song dynasty landscape.

Artwork

宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall

Li Tang , 1249

宋佚名觀瀑圖團扇|Gentlemen gazing at a waterfall is an ink painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist Li Tang. It dates from 1249 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts a landscape scene featuring a prominent waterfall, consistent with the Song dynasty tradition of nature painting.

The work depicts a landscape scene featuring a prominent waterfall, consistent with the Song dynasty tradition of nature painting. While the title suggests figures are gazing at the cascade, the primary visual subject identified in the records is the waterfall itself, situated within a broader natural setting. The genre is classified as landscape painting, a form that often utilized such dramatic natural elements to evoke the sublime power of nature or to provide a backdrop for scholarly contemplation.

Created in 1249, the piece presents this aquatic motif on silk, emphasizing the enduring cultural significance of waterfalls in Chinese art as symbols of natural grandeur. The composition focuses on the interaction between the environment and the implied presence of observers, though the specific iconographic details of any figures are secondary to the depiction of the falling water in the available descriptions.

Technique & Style

Created in 1249, this landscape work is executed in ink and color on silk. Originally a circular fan, the support has been remounted as an album leaf, a common preservation method for such formats. The painting measures 25.1 cm in height and 25.7 cm in width.

Stylistically, it is classified as a landscape depicting a waterfall, attributed to an unidentified artist from China. While some historical records associate the style with Li Tang, the work is cataloged as anonymous. The medium combines monochrome ink washes with applied color to render the natural scene, maintaining the integrity of the silk surface through its current mounting.

History & Provenance

The fan painting is dated to 1249, as indicated by its inscription and the inception date recorded in the museum’s records. Executed in ink and color on silk, it was mounted as an album leaf and created by an anonymous artist in China. Its provenance traces to its present location in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it is classified as a landscape painting depicting a waterfall. No earlier ownership or commission details are provided in the available sources.

The work is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is inventoried as accession number 1973.120.2. It was first publicly exhibited as part of the Museum’s holdings; no additional exhibition history prior to its acquisition is documented in available records.

Overview

This small painting, titled Gentlemen Gazing at a Waterfall, is an ink and color on silk work from China's Song dynasty, dating back over 800 years. Originally a circular fan, it has since been mounted as an album leaf. The composition captures a serene landscape where two figures observe a dramatic natural phenomenon, characteristic of the period's appreciation for nature's grandeur and human contemplation within it.