Artwork

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival, by After Qiu Ying, ink, 1777
清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival, by After Qiu Ying, ink, 1777

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival is an ink painting by the Baroque artist After Qiu Ying. It dates from 1777 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The handscroll "Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival" is an anonymous Chinese painting from 1777, rendered in ink and color on silk.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is executed as a handscroll, a format that dictates a horizontal, unfolding presentation and calls for careful unrolling and re-rolling.

The work is executed as a handscroll, a format that dictates a horizontal, unfolding presentation and calls for careful unrolling and re-rolling. Its support is silk, upon which the artist applied ink with subtle washes of color, a technique typical of Qing-period painting. The composition proceeds sequentially, guiding the viewer through a bustling riverine landscape that includes boats, bridges, and figures, reflecting the narrative continuity of the genre.

Created in 1777 in China, the piece exemplifies the landscape genre through its delicate brushwork, layered spatial depth, and restrained palette, while its execution on silk underscores both the fragility and luminous quality of the surface.

History & Provenance

The work was produced in 1777 in China by an anonymous painter working in the tradition of Qiu Ying; it is a handscroll rendered in ink and color on silk. Its subject matter includes boats, bridges, human figures and a river, reflecting Qingming Festival activity, and it is classified as a landscape painting of the Qing period. The scroll is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is cataloged and displayed. No specific inventory or accession number, nor exhibition history, is detailed in the available records.

Context

The handscroll, dated 1777 and attributed to an anonymous follower of Qiu Ying, is classified as a Qing dynasty landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk. It portrays a bustling Qingming Festival scene with boats, bridges, and human figures, reflecting the narrative genre of Chinese riverine life. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work is studied as an example of Qing artistic engagement with earlier Song compositional models. Its stylistic features illustrate the continuation of Chinese painting traditions into the late imperial period.

Legacy

As a Qing dynasty rendering of a celebrated subject, the handscroll exemplifies the genre's detailed depiction of riverine life. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection has supported continued scholarly study and public access, making it a reference point for the reception of earlier Chinese narrative compositions in the late imperial period.

Overview

The handscroll "Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival" is an anonymous Chinese painting from 1777, rendered in ink and color on silk. This extensive work presents a panoramic depiction of urban life, densely populated with numerous figures engaged in various daily activities. It captures the bustling atmosphere of a city, featuring boats on a river, a prominent bridge, and diverse architectural elements, all unfolding across a long, winding format.

Subject & Meaning

This scroll vividly portrays the vibrant daily routines and festive spirit of a Chinese city, specifically intended to evoke life during the Song dynasty, over eight centuries prior to its creation. Hundreds of miniature figures are depicted shopping, working, and strolling beneath willow trees. The intricate detail creates a comprehensive visual record, functioning as a detailed snapshot of urban existence and its varied social interactions.

清  佚名  清明上河圖  卷|Spring Festival on the River
清 佚名 清明上河圖 卷|Spring Festival on the River

Artist & collection

Frequently asked questions

Who painted 清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival?

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival was painted by After Qiu Ying in 1777.

Where can I see 清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival?

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival?

清 佚名 清明上河圖|Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival is associated with Baroque.