Artwork
南宋 佚名 傳李公麟 豳風七月圖 卷|Odes of the State of Bin
南宋 佚名 傳李公麟 豳風七月圖 卷|Odes of the State of Bin is an ink painting. It dates from 1239 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By illustrating these scenes of toil and husbandry, the work represents the idealized Confucian vision of a harmonious, productive society rooted in the land.
Created in 1239 by an anonymous Southern Song artist, this handscroll visually interprets the "Odes of the State of Bin," a section of the classic Book of Songs. The composition focuses on the theme of agriculture, depicting the cyclical nature of farm work throughout the year. The iconography features laborers engaged in various tasks alongside domestic animals, specifically horses and dogs, which emphasize the rural setting and the interdependence of humans and beasts in agrarian life.
By illustrating these scenes of toil and husbandry, the work represents the idealized Confucian vision of a harmonious, productive society rooted in the land. The painting serves as a documentary-style record of peasant life, elevating the subject of manual labor into a worthy topic for high art through its detailed observation of daily activities.
Technique & Style
The work is a handscroll executed in ink on paper, a typical support for Southern Song monochrome painting. As a handscroll, it was designed to be viewed section by section, allowing the artist to control the pacing of the narrative landscape. The classification as a painting and its landscape genre indicate a focus on naturalistic depiction of agricultural activities, rendered with brushwork characteristic of anonymous Southern Song artists.
While the sources confirm the medium, support, date (1239) and anonymous attribution, they do not provide details about the painting’s current condition or any conservation history.
History & Provenance
The handscroll is dated to 1239 and was made in China as an ink-on-paper work. It is anonymous but traditionally attributed to the Song‑dynasty painter Li Gonglin. The sources record no specific commission or earlier owners; the work’s known provenance begins with its entry into the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed.
The handscroll titled 南宋 佚名 傳李公麟 豳風七月圖, dated 1239, is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, classified as a Chinese landscape painting, is recorded in the museum’s catalogue as part of its holdings of paintings from medieval China. No accession number is provided in the available documentation, and the sources do not specify any exhibition record for the piece.
Its provenance is limited to the information that it is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with its creation noted as taking place in China during the Southern Song period.
Overview
This ink on paper handscroll, titled Odes of the State of Bin, is attributed to Li Gonglin but remains by an anonymous artist from the Southern Song dynasty. The painting unfolds a peaceful rural landscape, capturing a detailed farm scene where people, horses, and dogs are engaged in various daily activities. It offers a glimpse into agricultural life, rendered with careful observation.
Artist & collection
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