Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by After Xia Gui in 1639.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Song dynasty landscape.

Artwork

Untitled

After Xia Gui , 1639

Untitled is an ink painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist After Xia Gui. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Created in 1639 as an ink painting on silk, the composition focuses on these two primary elements within a natural setting.

The work depicts a landscape scene featuring a single man aboard a boat. Created in 1639 as an ink painting on silk, the composition focuses on these two primary elements within a natural setting. As a landscape genre piece attributed to an artist working after Xia Gui, the imagery evokes traditional themes of seclusion and travel often associated with such figures in Chinese painting.

The visual narrative centers on the solitary figure navigating the water, a common motif reflecting contemplation or journeying in the artistic tradition of the period.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in ink on silk and takes the form of a fan mounted as an album leaf, a format associated with traditional Chinese painting presentation. Classified as a landscape painting, it is attributed as a work after Xia Gui, indicating it follows the stylistic conventions of that earlier master's landscape tradition rather than being an original composition.

Measured dimensions are 21.4 cm in height by 25.1 cm in width, consistent with the compact scale typical of fan-mounted album leaves. The imagery centers on landscape elements featuring a boat and a man, rendered in monochrome ink on a silk support.

History & Provenance

The work, titled Untitled and attributed to an artist working after Xia Gui, was created in 1639 in China. Executed as ink on silk, the piece takes the form of a fan mounted as an album leaf and depicts a landscape featuring a boat and a man. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with dimensions of 21.4 cm in height by 25.1 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.

Overview

This untitled ink painting on silk, created in 1639 by an artist working in the style of Xia Gui, presents a serene landscape. Originally a fan, it has been preserved as an album leaf. The composition features a solitary figure in a small boat navigating a vast, tranquil river, with distant mountains subtly emerging from the mist.

Context

The aesthetic principles evident in this work, particularly the emphasis on negative space and understated depiction, resonate with artistic traditions prevalent during China's Southern Song dynasty. This approach, where restraint and suggestion were valued over detailed representation, aimed to evoke profound meaning through simplicity, aligning with the concept that "less is more."