Artwork
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters is an unspecified painting by the Qing dynasty painting artist Mei Qing. It dates from 1696 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a series of landscape vistas that deliberately echo the compositional and tonal strategies of celebrated European landscape masters, positioning the work as a study of stylistic imitation rather than a depiction of a specific narrative scene. By rendering natural terrain in modes associated with earlier artists, the piece signals an engagement with artistic precedent and a commentary on the universality of landscape as a subject. The landscapes function as visual experiments in technique, suggesting that the artist sought to interrogate and reinterpret historic visual language within the Chinese artistic context of the late 17th century.
Technique & Style
The piece was created in China and entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1962.
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters is a 1690 Chinese painting by Mei Qing, classified as a landscape work. The piece was created in China and entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1962.157.2. Its formal qualities align with the landscape genre, reflecting compositional strategies associated with earlier masterworks, while its execution follows conventional painting practices of the period as indicated by its classification.
History & Provenance
Created in 1690 by the Chinese artist Mei Qing, this landscape painting was produced in China. The work, titled Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters, is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.157.2. No specific details regarding the original commission, intermediate ownership history, or the circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
The painting Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is identified by the accession number 1962.157.2. Created in 1690 by the Chinese artist Mei Qing, the piece remains part of the museum's holdings in Cleveland.
Context
The painting exemplifies Mei Qing’s engagement with European Old Master landscape conventions, a subject examined in scholarly discussions of his oeuvre. Created in China in 1690, the work is classified as a landscape and was produced as part of a series titled “Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters,” indicating an intentional dialogue with canonical Western models. Its inclusion in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection underscores its significance within the narrative of cross‑cultural artistic exchange, positioning the piece as a key example of how 17th‑century Chinese painters interpreted and adapted European compositional strategies. The work’s provenance and exhibition history reflect its recognized artistic value.
Overview
Mei Qing, a prominent Qing Dynasty artist known for his painting, calligraphy, and poetry, completed Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters in 1696. This painting exemplifies his approach to landscape art, which often synthesized historical artistic conventions with his direct observations of the natural world. Born in Xuancheng, Anhui Province, Mei Qing was a significant figure in the period's artistic circles.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Mei Qing (Chinese: 梅清; pinyin: Méi Qīng; Wade–Giles: Mei Ch'ing; ca. 1623–1697) was a Chinese landscape painter, calligrapher and poet active during the Qing Dynasty. Mei was born in Xuancheng, Anhui Province. His…
清 倣梅清 響山泛舟圖 軸|Boating beneath Echo Hill
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters- Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
Landscapes in Various Styles after Old Masters
