Who painted 明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River?

明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River was painted by Pan Yunyu in 1604 or 1664.

Where can I see 明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River?

明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River?

明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River

Pan Yunyu , 1604

明/清潘雲馭秋江落照扇|Setting Sun on the Autumn River is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Pan Yunyu. It dates from 1604 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 13.100.79
Credit line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is a folding fan remounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on gold paper.

The work is a folding fan remounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on gold paper. The handling combines delicate line work with softly modulated washes to render mist-laden riverbanks, distant sailboats, and receding mountains, characteristic of late-Ming to early-Qing lyrical landscape modes. The composition's aerial recession and attenuated figural staffage reflect Wu-school influence, while the gold ground heightens the autumnal glow of the setting sun. No evidence of later overpainting or major losses is noted in the technical record.

History & Provenance

The work titled 秋江落照 (Setting Sun on the Autumn River) is attributed to the Chinese painter Pan Yunyu and dated 1604. It is recorded as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on gold paper, measuring 15.9 × 48.3 cm, and was produced in China. Catalogued as a landscape painting depicting a boat, it entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which currently holds it.

The museum's records do not disclose an accession or inventory number for this work, and no exhibition history is documented in the available sources. Its only confirmed provenance is therefore its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings.

Overview

Pan Yunyu's "Setting Sun on the Autumn River," created in 1604, is a landscape painting rendered on a folding fan. This intimate work captures a tranquil scene of boats navigating a river at dusk amidst misty hills. The use of ink and color on gold paper suggests a delicate interplay of light and shadow, characteristic of its medium and intended function as a personal, portable object rather than a large-scale display piece.

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a serene autumnal river scene as evening approaches. Two boats gently glide across the water, which is depicted with pale ink to suggest its shimmering surface. In the background, soft, misty hills rise, while the sky above emits a faint orange glow, indicating the setting sun. This composition evokes a sense of quiet contemplation and the transient beauty of nature at twilight.

Context

Unlike paintings intended for wall display, this fan served as a personal accessory, designed to be carried, opened, and closed. Its compact size and portable nature suggest it was a private object, perhaps a gift or a personal possession, rather than a public statement. The specific gender of its original owner remains unknown, but its intimate scale underscores its role in individual appreciation and daily life during the Ming or Qing dynasty.