Artwork
Untitled

Untitled is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist After Luo Zonggui. It dates from 1506 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1506 by an anonymous artist working after Luo Zonggui, the painting captures these three elements within a traditional Chinese aesthetic.
The work portrays a still-life composition featuring a cat, a butterfly, and a flower, rendered in ink and color on silk. Created in 1506 by an anonymous artist working after Luo Zonggui, the painting captures these three elements within a traditional Chinese aesthetic. While the specific symbolic intent of this particular arrangement is not detailed in the available records, the combination of a cat and butterfly is a known motif in Chinese art, often alluding to longevity or the interplay between life and fleeting moments.
The inclusion of the flower further enriches the scene, adhering to genre conventions where natural elements are depicted for their beauty and potential allegorical resonance. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Created in 1506 in China, this work is executed in ink and color on silk. The physical support consists of a fan that has been mounted as an album leaf, measuring 23.2 cm in height and 18.1 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting functions as a still life, featuring a composition of a cat, a butterfly, and flowers.
While the piece is attributed to the circle of Luo Zonggui, it is also described as the work of an anonymous painter. The combination of delicate brushwork typical of ink and color on silk with the specific format of a mounted fan leaf reflects traditional techniques of the period.
History & Provenance
The work is dated 1506 and attributed to an anonymous painter after Luo Zonggui. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, cataloged within the museum's paintings department, though no specific accession number is provided in the available records. The painting is a fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on silk, and depicts a butterfly, a cat, and a flower.
Its dimensions are recorded as 23.2 cm in height and 18.1 cm in width, consistent with Ming-dynasty fan paintings repurposed as album leaves. No specific exhibition history is documented for the work.
Overview
This untitled work, created around 1506, is an ink and color painting on silk, originally a fan, now preserved as an album leaf. It presents a lively still life scene featuring two cats amidst vibrant pink peonies, with butterflies fluttering nearby. The composition captures a moment of natural interaction, suggesting movement and vitality within the delicate medium.
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