Artwork
清 佚名 夏花圖 扇|Summer Flowers
清 佚名 夏花圖 扇|Summer Flowers is an ink painting. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The object is a decorative folding fan painted with a summer floral motif.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a genre painting, the subject matter centers entirely on the botanical forms without narrative figures or landscape backgrounds.
The work depicts a floral still life, specifically focusing on summer flowers rendered in ink and color on gold paper. As a genre painting, the subject matter centers entirely on the botanical forms without narrative figures or landscape backgrounds. The choice of summer blooms, presented on a folding fan, aligns with the seasonal themes often celebrated in Chinese decorative arts, where such imagery typically conveys the fleeting beauty of the season and the appreciation of nature's transient cycles.
The use of gold paper further elevates the flowers, suggesting a context of luxury and refined aesthetic pleasure.
Technique & Style
Created in 1749, this work is a folding fan executed in ink and color on gold paper. The support is encased in a bamboo frame that features intricate inlays of mother-of-pearl, ivory, and jade. As a still-life genre piece, the composition focuses on floral subjects rendered with these traditional materials.
The object measures 42.2 cm in height and 74.3 cm in width, reflecting the standard dimensions for this format of handheld fan painting.
History & Provenance
Created in China in 1749, the work Summer Flowers is a folding fan executed in ink and color on gold paper. The artist remains anonymous, with the piece classified as a still-life depicting flowers. The fan features a bamboo frame inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ivory, and jade. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded as part of the museum’s holdings.
It has appeared in at least one exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it was presented as part of the permanent collection display of Chinese paintings.
Overview
The object is a decorative folding fan painted with a summer floral motif. Executed on gold‑leafed paper, the fan measures the typical size for handheld fans and folds into a compact shape. Its surface is covered with ink and pigment, presenting an arrangement of blossoms rendered in vivid hues against a luminous background.
Artist & collection
