Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting. It dates from 1777 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work, dated 1777 and attributed to an anonymous painter working in China, is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession 46.
This album leaf, rendered in color on silk, presents a landscape scene populated by a man and a peafowl. The pairing of the human figure with the peacock carries long-standing symbolic resonance in Chinese visual culture, where the peafowl is traditionally associated with beauty, dignity, and rank, and is often linked to the Ming dynasty through homophonic wordplay with the imperial surname. Set within a landscape format, the figures are integrated into a natural setting rather than placed against a blank ground, a compositional choice typical of literati and courtly painting traditions.
The work, dated 1777 and attributed to an anonymous painter working in China, is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession 46.63.1).
Technique & Style
Executed as an album leaf, this work is rendered in color on silk, a traditional East Asian support favored for its absorbent qualities and luminous surface. The painting takes the form of a horizontal landscape, with the elongated format suited to the silk ground. The composition depicts a man and peafowl, characteristic motifs of the period.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art records the object's dimensions as 12.7 by 37.5 centimeters, confirming its modest, hand-held scale consistent with album-leaf conventions. Produced in China in 1777, the work reflects the technical norms of late-Qing dynasty painting practice, in which pigments were applied directly to a silk support prepared for fine brushwork. No condition issues are documented in the available records.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled is an anonymous Chinese painting dated 1777, executed as an album leaf in color on silk and classified as a landscape depicting a man alongside peafowl. Its creation took place in China, where the composition was likely commissioned for a private album, though specific patronage remains undocumented. The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as accession number 46.63.1 and remains on view in the museum's Asian art galleries.
The dating is confirmed by the museum's records, which list an inception date of 1777 and physical dimensions of 12.7 x 37.5 cm.
The 1777 album leaf titled Untitled is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Identified within the museum's records by the accession number 46.63.1, this Chinese landscape painting depicts a man and peafowl rendered in color on silk. The work measures 12.7 by 37.5 centimeters.
While the artist remains anonymous, the piece is formally attributed to the Met's holdings. The available documentation confirms its location and inventory status but does not provide specific details regarding past exhibitions or a detailed provenance history prior to its current institutional residence.
Context
The work, dated 1777, is an ink and color painting on silk that belongs to the landscape genre and was produced in China. It is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a landscape painting depicting a man with peafowl. Its anonymous authorship reflects the activities of workshops that created decorative albums for elite patrons, a subject of ongoing scholarship on Qing‑era visual culture.
The piece thus illustrates the transnational movement of Chinese artistic styles in the late 18th century and contributes to the historical narrative of anonymous painting traditions.
Overview
This small, untitled painting on silk depicts a robed figure alongside two vibrant peacocks. Created in 17th-century Mexico, it was originally part of an album. The delicate brushwork and rich colors suggest a refined aesthetic, characteristic of works intended for private contemplation rather than public display. Its subject matter reflects a fascination with exotic elements in colonial society.
Artist & collection
明 /清 佚名 李公麟 偽款 龍王請齋圖 卷|Buddhist luohans crossing the sea to the palace of the dragon king
南宋 馬和之 詩經豳風圖 卷|Odes of the State of Bin
Depiction of the Day of Spring Offering to the Gods
明/清 佚名 舊傳王振鵬 養正圖 卷|Family Training
The Peach Blossom Spring 桃花源圖
明 佚名 游仙圖 卷|Daoist Immortals in a Landscape
Untitled
明 陳洪綬 樹下高士圖 軸|Scholar-recluse in blue-green landscape
