Artwork
清 佚名 舊傳易元吉 八禽圖 卷|Birds on Branches
清 佚名 舊傳易元吉 八禽圖 卷|Birds on Branches is an ink painting by the Baroque artist After Yi Yuanji. It dates from 1777 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This handscroll, titled Birds on Branches (八禽圖), is an anonymous work from the Qing dynasty, created in 1777.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery centers on the interaction between the birds, the trees, and the flowers, reflecting a genre dedicated to capturing the vitality of nature.
The handscroll depicts eight birds perched upon tree branches, interspersed with floral elements. As an anonymous work from 1777 attributed to the tradition of Yi Yuanji, the composition focuses on the naturalistic observation of avian life within a botanical setting. The imagery centers on the interaction between the birds, the trees, and the flowers, reflecting a genre dedicated to capturing the vitality of nature.
The work represents a continuation of the Chinese tradition of bird-and-flower painting, emphasizing the aesthetic appreciation of the natural world and the artist's skill in rendering plumage and vegetation in ink and color on silk.
Technique & Style
The work is presented as a handscroll painted in ink with subtle color washes on silk, a format typical of Qing-era bird-and-flower compositions. The brushwork follows the style of Yi Yuanji, employing fine, linear strokes to render feathers and foliage, while the muted palette emphasizes tonal gradation. Measuring 31.8 cm in height and 258.4 cm in length, the silk support allows flexible unrolling, and the composition unfolds sequentially across the scroll's length.
The painting's condition, as recorded by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, remains stable with no documented structural damage.
History & Provenance
Created in China in 1777, this handscroll painting on silk depicts birds, flowers, and trees. Although historically attributed to the Song dynasty master Yi Yuanji, the work is now classified as by an anonymous Qing dynasty artist. The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued among the museum's Chinese paintings.
The scroll measures 31.8 cm in height and 258.4 cm in length. No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership prior to its museum acquisition are recorded in available sources.
Overview
This handscroll, titled Birds on Branches (八禽圖), is an anonymous work from the Qing dynasty, created in 1777. Executed with ink and color on silk, the painting presents a series of eight small birds, each depicted individually on a slender branch. The composition emphasizes the natural forms of the avian subjects and the delicate interplay between the birds and their arboreal perches.
Artist & collection
