Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The bird and flower are rendered in color on pith paper as part of a twelve‑leaf album created in China in 1849.
The painting presents a bird alongside a flower, the two motifs recorded in the catalog entries. The bird and the flower are the only identifiable iconographic elements, appearing together on the composition. No additional narrative or allegorical meaning is specified in the documentation, and the work does not carry an overt symbolic program beyond the literal representation of these natural forms.
The bird and flower are rendered in color on pith paper as part of a twelve‑leaf album created in China in 1849.
Technique & Style
The work is an album of twelve leaves executed in color on pith paper. Classified as a painting, it depicts birds and flowers in a still-life genre. The use of pith paper as a support is characteristic of Chinese export painting traditions of the period. The album format suggests intimate, handheld viewing, with each leaf likely treated as a discrete compositional unit.
History & Provenance
Created in 1849 in China, this work is an album comprising twelve leaves featuring color paintings on pith paper. The artist remains unknown, though the imagery depicts birds and flowers within the still-life genre. The piece eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held.
The album of twelve leaves is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A Wikidata record for the work identifies it as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings and dates its inception to 1849, with its production attributed to China.
No accession number or inventory identifier is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented for this work.
Overview
This untitled album comprises twelve individual paintings executed with color on pith paper. Each leaf depicts vibrant compositions of birds and flowers, characteristic of a particular artistic tradition. The work offers insight into the visual culture and stylistic preferences prevalent during its creation.
Context
The stylistic qualities of these paintings, particularly their resemblance to traditional Mexican artistic forms, provide valuable insight into the aesthetic currents of their era. Such works contribute to understanding the broader visual landscape and artistic exchanges of the period, with comparable examples found in significant collections like The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Artist & collection
- 松牡丹孔雀図|Peacocks, Pine Tree, and Peonies
牡丹に孔雀図|Peacocks and Peonies
Painting Eight from Illustrated Book of Flowers and Butterflies
Untitled
Rose and Nightingale
Japanese Drawing
Untitled
Painting Two from Illustrated Book of Flowers and Butterflies
Bird on Lotus
Peacocks, Pine Tree, and Peonies
桃に鶴図|Flowers and Birds
Gilet décor petite chaumière, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle
