Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by After Qiu Ying in ca. 1530.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

Artwork

Untitled

After Qiu Ying , 1530

Untitled is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist After Qiu Ying. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The scroll depicts a mounted hunter drawing a bow, a composition centered on the pursuit of game.

The scroll depicts a mounted hunter drawing a bow, a composition centered on the pursuit of game. The bow and arrow, horse, and male figure are recurring motifs in sixteenth-century Chinese hunting scenes, where the act symbolized martial prowess and the harmonious coordination of human and animal energies. The equestrian focus and the archer’s poised stance suggest themes of control and mastery over the natural world, aligning with literati ideals of virtuous governance and cultivated refinement.

Technique & Style

The work is a handscroll executed in ink with subtle color washes on silk, dating to 1530 and produced in China. It is classified as a painting and depicts a hunting scene with a bow and arrow, a horse and an equestrian figure, reflecting equestrian and archery motifs. The composition combines delicate line work with muted pigments, characteristic of Ming‑dynasty brush techniques.

As a silk support, the piece would have been rolled for storage and handling, a format that influences its current condition, which remains intact but requires careful unrolling. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the scroll, identifying it as an anonymous work possibly after the style of Qiu Ying.

Overview

This handscroll, titled "Untitled," is a painting executed in ink and color on silk. It depicts a continuous narrative of men on horseback engaged in a deer hunt, rendered with meticulous detail across its extended format. The scroll's design allows viewers to experience the unfolding action sequentially, characteristic of this traditional East Asian art form.