1788
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
River Landscape is a 1788 unspecified by Min Zhen, a Chinese Orthodox School work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a quiet river winding between misty hills, dotted with tiny boats and a few thatched huts. Min Zhen painted this in 1788, late in his life. He was orphaned young and grew up a little odd—some say that’s why his landscapes feel so personal, like he’s showing you his private world. The brushwork is loose and confident, almost like calligraphy. If you like this, look up the subject *china, qing dynasty (1644-1911)* to see more paintings from the same time.
Min Zhen, who was orphaned at age 12 and developed an eccentric personality, was trained by Tang Yin (1682–1756), a writer, playwright, and superintendent of the imperial porcelain workshops in Jingdezhen. The connection to him may have enabled Min to stay in Beijing for a decade from around 1773. It is not clear whether he ever resided in Yangzhou, but his style is in many instances reminiscent of that of Yangzhou artist Huang Shen. This album demonstrates Min’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Min Zhen was a Chinese painter and seal carver born in Nanchang, Jiangxi, who spent most of his life in Hubei.
See the richer artist page
