Artwork
清 佚名 持瓶仕女 軸|Girl Bringing Jar of Wine
清 佚名 持瓶仕女 軸|Girl Bringing Jar of Wine is an ink painting. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This anonymous Qing dynasty hanging scroll, titled Girl Bringing Jar of Wine, renders a young woman in traditional attire.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The figure of the "girl bringing jar" (持瓶仕女) represents a domestic or courtly servant performing a routine task, likely the serving of wine or another beverage.
The painting depicts a young female attendant carrying a jar, a common motif in Qing dynasty genre painting. The figure of the "girl bringing jar" (持瓶仕女) represents a domestic or courtly servant performing a routine task, likely the serving of wine or another beverage. Such images of attendants with vessels belong to a broader tradition of Chinese figure painting that idealizes feminine grace and service within elite households.
The jar itself functions as both a practical object and a symbolic attribute, signaling hospitality, ritual, or cultivated leisure. The work's classification as a genre scene underscores its basis in everyday life rather than religious or historical narrative.
Technique & Style
Created in 1749, this hanging scroll employs ink and color pigments applied to a silk support. The work measures 147.3 cm in height and 65.4 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a genre scene, depicting a solitary female figure carrying a jar.
The composition focuses entirely on this subject, using the traditional format of a vertical scroll to present the moment. The application of color alongside ink suggests a polychrome approach typical of Chinese painting of this period, though specific brushwork details and current conservation status are not documented in the available records.
History & Provenance
Girl Bringing Jar of Wine was created in 1749 during the Qing dynasty by an anonymous Chinese artist, executed as a hanging scroll in ink and color on silk. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art among its holdings of Chinese paintings. No specific accession number, early ownership, or detailed exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This anonymous Qing dynasty hanging scroll, titled Girl Bringing Jar of Wine, renders a young woman in traditional attire. Executed with ink and color on silk, the painting captures a figure holding a wine vessel, her expression serene. The artist employs a restrained palette and simple lines, conveying a sense of quietude and understated elegance. The work offers a glimpse into the aesthetic sensibilities of the period.
Context
Although the artist remains unidentified, this painting exemplifies a type of genre scene popular during the Qing dynasty, focusing on everyday figures. Such depictions offered viewers a window into domestic life and social roles, often with an idealized or contemplative quality. The work would have served both decorative and reflective purposes within a household setting, embodying a quiet charm.
Artist & collection
