Artwork
元 佚名 倣錢選 梨花圖 卷|Pear Blossoms
元 佚名 倣錢選 梨花圖 卷|Pear Blossoms is an ink painting. It dates from 1280 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition reflects the lyrical style associated with Qian Xuan, in whose manner the work is painted, though the artist remains unidentified.
The work is a handscroll painted in ink with subtle polychrome accents on paper, a format typical of Yuan‑era Chinese art. Executed around 1280, the piece portrays pear blossoms, emphasizing delicate brushstrokes and a restrained palette. Its support as a continuous scroll allows for sequential viewing, while the ink medium yields fine line work that defines the blossoms' form.
The composition reflects the lyrical style associated with Qian Xuan, in whose manner the work is painted, though the artist remains unidentified. It is presently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Pear Blossoms is dated to around 1280, consistent with the Yuan dynasty, though the work is attributed to an unidentified artist working in imitation of Qian Xuan's style. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded under accession number 1996.483.1. No further details of an earlier ownership chain, commission, or intermediate provenance are documented in the available sources.
Context
The handscroll Pear Blossoms, dated around 1280, is an ink‑and‑color painting that portrays flowering pear branches. Although the creator is unidentified and linked to the manner of Qian Xuan, the work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and exemplifies Yuan‑era Chinese painting traditions. Its presence in a major museum collection highlights its relevance to the study of thirteenth‑century Chinese art and the attribution questions surrounding anonymous works of the period.
Overview
This hand‑scroll, executed on paper with ink and color, presents a delicate arrangement of pear blossoms. The blossoms appear as tiny white specks set against pale green branches that stretch across the length of the work, creating a sense of airy spaciousness. The piece belongs to the genre of Chinese flower painting and is attributed to an anonymous artist who worked within a tradition of copying earlier models.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif consists of pear blossoms, a subject traditionally associated with purity and the arrival of spring in Chinese visual culture. By isolating the flowers on slender branches, the composition emphasizes their fleeting beauty and the transitory nature of the season, inviting contemplation of impermanence without relying on narrative elements.
Artist & collection
