Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by After Jing Hao in 1639.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Chinese Orthodox School.

Untitled by After Jing Hao (1639) · Meaning & Museum

Accession no.: 29.100.530
Credit line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The untitled handscroll, dated 1639 and attributed to a follower of Jing Hao, portrays a traditional Chinese mountain landscape rendered in ink and color on silk. As a work of the landscape genre, it depicts a stylized mountain scene that exemplifies the compositional and symbolic concerns of early Chinese literati painting, emphasizing natural forms and spatial depth. The piece was created in China and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, underscoring its significance within the historical trajectory of Chinese art.

Technique & Style

This landscape handscroll is executed in ink and color on a silk support, reflecting traditional Chinese painting materials.

This landscape handscroll is executed in ink and color on a silk support, reflecting traditional Chinese painting materials. Measuring 41.6 cm in height and 132.1 cm in width, the composition is formatted for horizontal, sequential viewing. Stylistically, the work belongs to the landscape genre and prominently depicts mountains.

Created in 1639, the piece is attributed to an anonymous painter working after the tenth-century master Jing Hao, indicating that its formal qualities deliberately emulate his archaic landscape style and brushwork rather than representing an original invention by the artist.

History & Provenance

The handscroll titled Untitled, executed in ink and color on silk, was created in China in 1639. Although the work is attributed in some records to the style of the artist Jing Hao, it is formally classified as a painting by an anonymous artist. The piece depicts a landscape featuring mountains and measures 41.6 cm in height by 132.1 cm in width.

Specific details regarding the original commissioning patron, the precise chain of ownership prior to its current location, or the circumstances of its initial creation are not documented in the available records. The work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is identified as a landscape painting from the mid-seventeenth century.

The handscroll titled Untitled, attributed to a follower of Jing Hao and dated 1639, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, executed in ink and color on silk, measures 41.6 by 132.1 centimeters. While the provided records confirm the artwork's current location and inclusion in the museum's holdings, they do not specify a distinct accession or inventory number. Furthermore, the available sources contain no information regarding the piece's exhibition history or specific loan records.

Overview

This handscroll, titled Untitled, is an ink and color painting on silk, created in 1639. It presents a sweeping mountain landscape, characterized by towering, jagged peaks enveloped in mist. While attributed to a follower of the tenth-century master Jing Hao, the precise authorship remains unknown.

The work exemplifies traditional Chinese landscape painting, inviting contemplation of nature's grandeur and the artist's skill in rendering vast, atmospheric scenes.

Context

Jing Hao, active around 900 AD, was a pivotal figure in Chinese landscape painting, known not only for his artworks but also for his treatise, Bifa ji (Notes on Brushwork). This text outlined fundamental principles for rendering landscapes, including the importance of capturing the "spirit resonance" of nature. The Untitled handscroll from 1639 appears to visually interpret and apply many of these theoretical guidelines, showcasing the lasting influence of Jing Hao's artistic philosophy centuries later.