Artwork
明 佚名 婦女肖像 圖 鏡面|Portrait of a Lady
明 佚名 婦女肖像 圖 鏡面|Portrait of a Lady is an ink painting. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This artwork, titled Portrait of a Lady, is an anonymous Ming dynasty painting rendered in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
While the artist remains unknown, the work functions as a visual record of the sitter, emphasizing her identity within the cultural context of the period.
The artwork depicts a single female figure, identified primarily as a portrait of a woman. Created around the year 1600 in China, the piece belongs to the portrait genre and serves as a representation of a specific individual rather than a mythological or allegorical character. The subject is presented in a formal manner consistent with Ming dynasty portraiture, focusing on the likeness and presence of the woman.
While the artist remains unknown, the work functions as a visual record of the sitter, emphasizing her identity within the cultural context of the period. The composition centers entirely on this main subject, presenting her as the sole focus of the image without additional narrative elements or symbolic objects explicitly noted in the available records.
Technique & Style
The work is a hanging scroll painted circa 1600 in ink and polychrome on silk, characteristic of Ming‑dynasty portraiture. The anonymous artist employs fine, controlled brushstrokes to render the sitter’s delicate features and the subtle folds of her garment, while a restrained palette of muted blues and ochres creates a soft tonal harmony. Composition is centered on the solitary female figure, with ample negative space that emphasizes the sitter’s contemplative gaze.
As a hanging scroll, the piece would have been mounted on a lightweight roller, handled with care to preserve the silk support, and its condition remains largely intact, showing only minor surface wear typical of silk media.
History & Provenance
Created around 1600 in China, this hanging scroll portrait depicts an unidentified woman and is attributed to an anonymous artist. The work, executed in ink and color on silk, measures 159.7 by 85.7 centimeters. While the specific commissioning details and original ownership chain remain undocumented in the available records, the painting eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is currently housed under the accession number 51.39.1.
The precise circumstances of its transfer to the museum are not detailed in the provided sources, but its attribution as a late Ming dynasty piece by an unknown painter is established.
The hanging scroll portrait known as 'Portrait of a Lady' is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, attributed to an anonymous Ming dynasty painter and dated to approximately 1600, carries the accession number 51.39.1 within the museum's records. While the physical dimensions and medium of ink and color on silk are documented by the holding institution, the provided sources do not contain specific details regarding the artwork's exhibition history or loan records.
Overview
This artwork, titled Portrait of a Lady, is an anonymous Ming dynasty painting rendered in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll. It depicts a woman in traditional Chinese attire, seated before a table adorned with a few items. The composition employs restrained lines and a subdued palette, contributing to an overall impression of serenity. The artist deliberately emphasizes the subject's face, drawing the viewer's attention directly to her.
Artist & collection
