Artwork

Untitled

Untitled is a gold painting. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Because the artist is unknown and no further iconographic analysis is provided, the precise symbolic meaning is not specified in the sources.

The painting shows a single flower or plant, rendered on a gold-paper folding fan that was mounted as an album leaf. It is classified as a still life and was produced in China in 1639 by an anonymous artist.

The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and is identified as depicting a flower and plant. Because the artist is unknown and no further iconographic analysis is provided, the precise symbolic meaning is not specified in the sources.

Technique & Style

Untitled, dating to 1639, is a painting executed on gold paper that has been mounted as a folding fan serving as an album leaf. The work belongs to the still-life genre and portrays flower and plant motifs. As an anonymous Chinese painting, it was created in China and now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The support is a fan-shaped format with the delicate handling typical of album-leaf compositions of the period.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a 1639 painting executed on a folding fan mounted as an album leaf with gold paper. The work was produced in China by an anonymous painter and depicts a flower and plant in the still-life genre. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, forming part of the museum's holdings of early Chinese paintings. No earlier ownership details, accession number, or exhibition history are recorded in the available sources.

Overview

This work consists of a painted folding fan that has been mounted as a single leaf within an album, presenting the appearance of a conventional painting. The surface is covered with gold paper, providing a luminous backdrop for the composition.

Context

Mounting a painted fan as an album leaf reflects a historical practice of integrating functional objects into portable collections of art. Such pieces were often valued for their ornamental appeal and the novelty of transforming everyday items into decorative artworks.