Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Song dynasty painting artist After Emperor Huizong. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a painting on silk mounted as a fan leaf, the piece represents a specific slice of daily life rather than a mythological or religious narrative.
The work depicts a genre scene featuring a young boy engaged in play. Created in 1639 by an anonymous artist working in the style of Emperor Huizong, the composition focuses on the subject of a child at a game. The imagery captures a moment of leisure and activity, centering on the figure of the boy and his interaction with the game.
As a painting on silk mounted as a fan leaf, the piece represents a specific slice of daily life rather than a mythological or religious narrative. The subject matter highlights the depiction of childhood recreation within the context of Chinese painting traditions of the period.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in ink and polychrome on silk, with the silk support mounted as a fan leaf that functions as an album leaf. Its dimensions are approximately 21.1 cm in height by 24.1 cm in width, dating to 1639 and originating in China. The work belongs to the genre of scene painting, portraying a boy engaged in play, and is classified as a painting within the broader category of Chinese art.
The anonymous hand is reflected in the delicate brushwork and the compositional focus on the solitary figure, while the formal qualities are defined by the restrained use of color and the subtle modeling of form on the silk surface.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Untitled, dated 1639, is classified as a fan leaf mounted as an album leaf executed in ink and color on silk. It is attributed to an anonymous painter working after the Chinese emperor Huizong and falls within the genre of a scene depicting a boy playing a game. The work was created in China and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
Its dimensions measure 21.1 cm by 24.1 cm, and its inception is recorded as 1639‑01‑01. The piece is part of the museum’s holdings, forming part of the documented provenance of the work.
Untitled, a 1639 ink and color on silk painting attributed to an anonymous follower of Emperor Huizong, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is listed in the museum’s collection records, indicating its presence as part of the institution’s permanent holdings. No explicit accession or inventory number is provided in the available documentation, and the sources do not record any dedicated exhibition of the piece outside the museum’s routine display of collection items. Its provenance is limited to its acquisition by the Met, with no further transfer details noted.
Context
The painting, titled Untitled and dated 1639, is an ink and color work on silk mounted as a fan‑leaf album leaf. It portrays a boy engaged in play and is attributed to an anonymous painter, residing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Art historical discussion places the work within the lineage of paintings that reinterpret the courtly aesthetic of Emperor Huizong, reflecting continued interest in Ming‑dynasty court scenes during the early Qing period.
Its presence in a major museum collection underscores its significance as a representative example of Chinese genre painting from the mid‑seventeenth century.
Overview
Untitled is an ink and color painting on silk, originally a fan, created in 1639 by an artist working in the tradition of Emperor Huizong. This genre scene captures two boys engrossed in a stick game within a garden setting. The work offers a glimpse into daily life, rendered with meticulous detail, reflecting a refined aesthetic often appreciated by imperial patrons.
Artist & collection
Artist
This group of delicate ink-and-silk scrolls carries on the refined brushwork of Song-dynasty court painting.
