Artwork
南宋 馬麟 蘭花圖 冊頁 絹本|Orchids
南宋 馬麟 蘭花圖 冊頁 絹本|Orchids is an ink painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist Ma Lin. It dates from 1238 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1238 by the Southern Song artist Ma Lin, the piece utilizes ink and color to capture the botanical subject.
The work depicts a cluster of orchids, identified specifically as Orchideae, rendered on a silk album leaf. Created in 1238 by the Southern Song artist Ma Lin, the piece utilizes ink and color to capture the botanical subject. As a still-life painting, the orchid serves as the central iconographic element.
In the context of Chinese art, orchids traditionally symbolize refinement, nobility, and the integrity of the scholar, though the specific symbolic interpretation for this individual leaf is grounded in its classification as a depiction of Orchideae within the Southern Song period.
Technique & Style
Created in 1238, this artwork is an album leaf executed in ink and color on a silk support. The painting depicts orchids, fitting within the still-life genre of Southern Song dynasty art. Physically, the sheet measures 26.5 cm in height and 22.5 cm in width.
The medium combines traditional ink washes with applied pigments to render the botanical subject on the woven silk ground. This format and material choice are characteristic of the period's album leaf production, emphasizing delicate brushwork and precise color application on a durable textile surface.
History & Provenance
The album leaf titled Orchids was created by the Southern Song dynasty artist Ma Lin in 1238. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work measures 26.5 cm in height and 22.5 cm in width. While the specific commission details or original patron remain unrecorded in the available documentation, the piece depicts orchids and is classified as a still-life painting.
The work originated in China during the Southern Song period. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as a painting by Ma Lin. The precise chain of ownership from its creation in 1238 to its acquisition by the museum is not detailed in the provided records, though its attribution to Ma Lin and the specific date of 1238 are established.
Overview
Ma Lin, a court painter active during China's Southern Song dynasty in the early to mid-13th century, created this album leaf titled Orchids in 1238. Executed with ink and color on silk, the work presents a delicate depiction of the Orchideae plant family. While primarily a still life, it also reflects aspects of the broader Song landscape painting tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ma Lin (simplified Chinese: 马麟; traditional Chinese: 馬麟; pinyin: Mǎ Lín; Wade–Giles: Ma Lin) (c.
