Artwork
清 佚名 滿清官員像 軸|Portrait of a Manchu Official

清 佚名 滿清官員像 軸|Portrait of a Manchu Official is an ink painting. It dates from 1699 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This artwork, titled Portrait of a Manchu Official, is an anonymous painting from the 17th or 18th century.
About this work
This painting shows a man in traditional clothes. He looks serious. The artist used ink and color on silk to create this portrait.
This is a simple portrait of a man. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has this painting. It was made a long time ago, in the 17th or 18th century. To learn more, check out The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
Created in China in 1699, the painting falls squarely within the portrait genre, focusing on the representation of the individual's likeness and societal role.
The artwork is a portrait that depicts a man, specifically identified as a Manchu official. Created in China in 1699, the painting falls squarely within the portrait genre, focusing on the representation of the individual's likeness and societal role. By portraying a Manchu official, the work represents the Qing dynasty's ruling elite, capturing the identity and status of its subject rather than offering a narrative or allegorical scene.
The depiction emphasizes the sitter's official standing and Manchu heritage, serving as a visual record of the political and social hierarchy of the period.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in ink and color on silk, a common support for Qing dynasty court paintings, and is presented in a framed format. The medium allows for delicate brushwork and subtle tonal variations typical of official portraiture of the period.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a Manchu Official was created in 1699 in China by an anonymous artist. This silk painting, executed in ink and color, depicts a male subject and is classified within the portrait genre. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The attribution remains to an unknown painter, reflecting the common practice of anonymous attribution for Qing dynasty official portraits when the artist's name was not recorded. The available records do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
This artwork, titled Portrait of a Manchu Official, is an anonymous painting from the 17th or 18th century. Executed with ink and color on silk, it depicts a solemn male figure dressed in traditional attire. The work is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering a glimpse into portraiture from the Qing dynasty.
Artist & collection










