Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist After Pei Kuan. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This hand‑scroll, executed on silk with ink and color in 1639, presents a tranquil rural scene populated by five horses.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in ink and color on silk, the work dates to 1639 and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The painting, titled Untitled, shows a horse as its central visual element. The subject is rendered in the landscape genre typical of Chinese ink handscrolls from the early 17th century. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work dates to 1639 and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The depiction of the animal aligns with traditional motifs in which the horse conveys mobility and status, though the sources do not elaborate further symbolic interpretation.
Technique & Style
Created in 1639, this work is a handscroll executed in ink and color on a silk support. The piece functions as a landscape painting that depicts a horse. While the artist is identified in some records as being after Pei Kuan, other documentation classifies the creator as an anonymous painter.
The work originates from China and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Untitled is a handscroll executed in ink and color on silk, attributed to an anonymous painter working after Pei Kuan, and dated to 1639. The attribution "after Pei Kuan" indicates that the artist modeled the composition on an earlier work rather than executing an original design. The work was produced in China and depicts a horse in a landscape.
It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued among the museum's Chinese paintings. No earlier ownership chain, commission details, accession number, or exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
This hand‑scroll, executed on silk with ink and color in 1639, presents a tranquil rural scene populated by five horses. The composition stretches horizontally, inviting the viewer to follow the gentle movement of the animals as they graze beneath a line of willow trees, creating a serene landscape that emphasizes quiet, natural harmony.
Context
Created during a time when equine subjects were popular among literati and aristocratic patrons, the piece reflects contemporary interests in depicting the elegance of horses within natural settings. Its use of silk as a support aligns with the period’s preference for portable, scroll‑format works that could be displayed and appreciated in intimate settings.
Artist & collection
