明/清 佚名 海天旭日圖 卷|Sea and Sky at Sunrise

Executed in 1622 by an anonymous Chinese artist, this work is a handscroll painted with ink and color on silk. The composition belongs to the landscape genre, specifically depicting marine subjects alongside trees. Physically, the scroll measures 51.4 centimeters in height and extends 211.5 centimeters in width.

The application of pigments and ink on the silk support creates a representation of the sea and sky at sunrise, adhering to traditional formats for narrative viewing through unrolling. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The handscroll titled Sea and Sky at Sunrise was created in China around 1622, as indicated by its dated inception and the description of its material and technique. The work is attributed to an anonymous painter and executed in ink and color on silk, classifying it within the landscape genre of marine art. Its provenance is presently limited to its inclusion in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been housed since at least the early 20th century.

No documentation of a specific commission or patron is recorded in the available sources, and the work remains unsigned, reflecting the typical anonymity of many Chinese paintings from this period.

The handscroll Sea and Sky at Sunrise, attributed to an unknown artist and dated to 1622, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, executed in ink and color on silk, measures 51.4 cm in height and 211.5 cm in width. While the provided sources confirm its current location and physical dimensions within the museum's holdings, they do not specify a unique accession or inventory number for the piece.

Furthermore, the available documentation does not record any specific exhibition history for this artwork, noting only its classification as a Chinese landscape painting depicting marine scenes and trees.

The handscroll Sea and Sky at Sunrise, dated 1622, exemplifies early Ming‑Qing transitional landscape painting and the anonymous workshop tradition that produced many marine scenes in China. Its depiction of an expansive sea with a solitary tree aligns with contemporary genre conventions and reflects the era’s interest in naturalistic representation of coastal environments. Scholars cite the work as a representative example of anonymous Chinese painters who combined ink‑wash techniques with subtle coloration to convey atmospheric space, and its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection underscores its recognized significance in the historiography of Chinese art.

This handscroll, titled Sea and Sky at Sunrise, is an ink and color painting on silk from the Ming or Qing dynasty. It depicts a tranquil coastal scene, capturing the quiet beauty of dawn. The work offers insight into landscape painting traditions of the 17th century, a period when such serene depictions were valued. Its anonymous authorship is common for many works of this era.