Artwork
北宋 佚名 倣范寬山水圖 軸|Landscape in the style of Fan Kuan

北宋 佚名 倣范寬山水圖 軸|Landscape in the style of Fan Kuan is an ink painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist After Fan Kuan. It dates from 1116 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This hanging scroll, titled Landscape in the style of Fan Kuan, dates to 1116 and is rendered in ink and color on silk.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
It follows the compositional conventions of Fan Kuan, emphasizing towering peaks and expansive sky to embody the Song dynasty landscape genre.
The work portrays a traditional Chinese mountain landscape rendered in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll. It follows the compositional conventions of Fan Kuan, emphasizing towering peaks and expansive sky to embody the Song dynasty landscape genre. The anonymous painter’s depiction of a mountain scene aligns with the genre’s focus on natural topography, while the dating to 1116 places it within the early Song period.
The painting’s subject, mountainous terrain, serves as the central iconographic element, reflecting the era’s artistic interest in capturing the grandeur and spiritual resonance of the natural world.
Technique & Style
The work is executed as a hanging scroll using ink and color on silk, a traditional support favored for monumental landscape compositions of the Northern Song period. The painting is attributed to an anonymous artist working in the manner of Fan Kuan, and it is dated to 1116. Stylistically, the piece adheres to the monumental landscape tradition associated with Fan Kuan, emphasizing towering mountain forms rendered in ink and color on a vertical silk ground.
The combination of silk support with ink and pigment allows for both fine linear definition and layered tonal washes characteristic of the Fan Kuan school. The scroll is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work is dated to 1116, as indicated by its inscription, and is classified as a Northern Song dynasty hanging scroll in ink and color on silk. It is attributed to an anonymous hand working in the manner of Fan Kuan. Since at least the early 20th century, the scroll has been held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it remains in the permanent collection.
The hanging scroll titled Landscape in the style of Fan Kuan is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created in 1116 by an anonymous artist, the work is classified as a landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk. While the museum's collection status is confirmed, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for this specific piece.
Furthermore, the available documentation contains no records regarding a history of exhibitions for this artwork at the museum or other institutions.
Context
Attributed to an anonymous painter working in the Northern Song period, this hanging scroll combines ink and polychrome on silk to render a rugged mountain scene in the manner of Fan Kuan. The composition features a dominant peak, sparse vegetation, and a sense of vast space that exemplifies the monumental landscape tradition of the era. Classified as a landscape painting within the genre of Chinese ink art, the work is dated 1116 and originates from China, where it entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Its stylistic affinity with Fan Kuan’s compositions has made it a reference point for scholars examining the development of Song dynasty landscape aesthetics.
Overview
This hanging scroll, titled Landscape in the style of Fan Kuan, dates to 1116 and is rendered in ink and color on silk. An anonymous artist from the Northern Song dynasty created this painting, which emulates the distinctive style of the renowned tenth-century master, Fan Kuan. The composition features a towering mountain landscape, characteristic of the period's monumental approach to nature.
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