Artwork
明/清 佚名 仿沈周 蘆雁花卉圖 卷|Marsh Scene with Birds
明/清 佚名 仿沈周 蘆雁花卉圖 卷|Marsh Scene with Birds is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Shen Zhou. It dates from 1468 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The medium and support are consistent with traditional Chinese scroll painting practices of the era.
This handscroll, dated to 1468, is executed in ink on paper. The work is classified as a landscape painting that depicts birds within a marsh setting. Stylistically, it is an anonymous piece attributed to the imitation of Shen Zhou's manner, reflecting the artistic traditions of China during the Ming or Qing period. The medium and support are consistent with traditional Chinese scroll painting practices of the era.
History & Provenance
The handscroll titled Marsh Scene with Birds was executed by the Ming‑era painter Shen Zhou in 1468, employing ink on paper in China. It belongs to the genre of landscape painting and portrays a bird within a marsh setting. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work entered its collection with an inception recorded on 1 January 1468 and is catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings.
The piece is classified as a painting within the landscape genre and is documented as a work by Shen Zhou.
The handscroll titled Marsh Scene with Birds is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is attributed to the artist Shen Zhou and is dated to 1468. It is classified as a painting on paper executed in ink, depicting birds within a marsh landscape setting.
The museum's records identify the piece as part of its permanent holdings, though specific accession numbers or past exhibition histories are not detailed in the provided sources.
Overview
This hand‑scroll, executed in ink on paper, presents a tranquil marsh landscape populated by reeds, still water, and a pair of geese at rest. The composition is rendered in a linear, horizontal format typical of Chinese scroll painting, allowing the viewer to follow the scene across the length of the work.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif features two geese settled on a bank, a common symbol of fidelity and seasonal change in Chinese art. The surrounding reeds and water suggest a quiet, early‑morning environment, inviting contemplation of nature’s subtle rhythms.
Context
Shen Zhou (1427‑1509) was a leading figure of the Wu School, known for integrating literati ideals with naturalistic observation. Copies such as this one illustrate how his techniques were transmitted and valued by subsequent generations of painters.
Artist & collection
Artist
Shen Zhou spent his life in the Suzhou region of China, where his family’s money and connections mattered more than art, until it did.
Untitled
The Thousand Buddha Hall and the Pagoda of the "Cloudy Cliff" Monastery, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou
Untitled
Untitled
明 沈周 溪山秋色圖 卷|明 沈周 溪山秋色圖 卷明 楷書溪山秋色圖 引首|Autumn Colors among Streams and Mountains
明 （倣）沈周 怡松圖 卷|Enjoying the Pines
Distant View of Tiger Hill from the Canal Mooring, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou
The Enlightened Stone Retreat, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou
