Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Tang Yin. It dates from 1506 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography centers on this solitary woman, representing a mythological entity rather than a secular portrait.
Created in 1506, this hanging scroll by Tang Yin depicts a female figure identified as a goddess. Classified within the genre of mythology, the work utilizes ink and color on paper to render its divine subject. The iconography centers on this solitary woman, representing a mythological entity rather than a secular portrait.
While one catalog entry attributes the piece to an anonymous maker, the primary internal record assigns it to Tang Yin, maintaining the identification of the subject as a goddess. The painting serves as a visual representation of Chinese mythological traditions from the early sixteenth century, focusing entirely on the depiction of this supernatural female figure without additional narrative context provided in the available records.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1506, this hanging scroll employs ink and color applied directly onto paper support. The work is attributed to the artist Tang Yin, though some records describe the creator as anonymous. Stylistically, the piece functions within the mythology genre, utilizing a formal approach to depict a female figure identified as a goddess.
The composition relies on the traditional vertical format of the hanging scroll, integrating chromatic elements with ink washes to define the subject. Created in China, the artwork's material construction aligns with standard practices for East Asian painted scrolls of the period, combining pigment and ink to render the divine figure.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled, a hanging scroll in ink and color on paper, is recorded in an internal catalogue as painted by Tang Yin in 1506 and classified within mythological genre depicting a goddess and a woman. Wikidata entry corroborates a creation date of 1506‑01‑01, notes that it was made in China, and indicates its presence in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No further commissioning documentation is available, and the attribution to Tang Yin remains the primary scholarly reference, while the anonymous designation in Wikidata reflects limited provenance details.
Overview
Untitled is an ink and color painting on a hanging scroll, depicting a celestial figure. Attributed to the Chinese artist Tang Yin and dated to 1506, the work portrays a goddess floating amidst clouds. The composition emphasizes her serene demeanor and flowing drapery, characteristic of divine representations from this period. Its delicate execution on paper reflects traditional Chinese painting techniques.
Artist & collection
Artist
Tang Yin (Chinese: 唐寅; pinyin: Táng Yín; Cantonese Yale: Tong Yan; 6 March 1470 – 7 January 1524), courtesy name Bohu (伯虎) and Ziwei (子畏), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period.
