Artwork
元 佚名 墨龍圖 軸|Dragon
元 佚名 墨龍圖 軸|Dragon is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Muqi. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This hanging scroll, rendered in black ink on silk, presents a solitary dragon winding amid stylized clouds.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting was created in China during the Yuan dynasty and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it is recorded with a height of 80.
The work titled 墨龍圖 (Dragon), dated 1334, is a hanging scroll painted in ink on silk. It portrays a dragon, a subject drawn from Chinese mythology. The composition presents the dragon as the central figure within the mythological genre.
The painting was created in China during the Yuan dynasty and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it is recorded with a height of 80.5 cm and a width of 40.3 cm. The work is unsigned and attributed to an anonymous painter.
Technique & Style
The work is a hanging scroll executed in monochrome ink on silk, a format and medium characteristic of Yuan-dynasty painting. The composition is oriented vertically, with the dragon rendered entirely in ink without applied color, allowing tonal modulation of the brush to define the creature's form, scales, and surrounding atmosphere.
Measured dimensions are 80.5 cm in height by 40.3 cm in width. The scroll is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No further details regarding handling or condition are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The hanging scroll is dated 1334 and was produced in China during the Yuan dynasty by an unidentified painter. Executed in ink on silk, it depicts a dragon and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, recorded with dimensions of 80.5 cm in height and 40.3 cm in width. The cited sources do not provide an accession number, an earlier ownership chain, or any documented exhibition history.
Overview
This hanging scroll, rendered in black ink on silk, presents a solitary dragon winding amid stylized clouds. The composition occupies the vertical format typical of Chinese scroll paintings, allowing the creature to ascend and recede within the limited space. The work dates to the mid‑fourteenth century, placing it within the Yuan dynasty’s artistic milieu.
Context
During the Yuan dynasty, Chinese painters often embraced monochrome ink to convey spiritual resonance, favoring brushwork over color. Dragons were a common motif, employed to convey imperial authority or cosmic order. This piece aligns with those conventions while also displaying a personal, introspective approach to the legendary beast.
Artist & collection
