Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Untitled

Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1714 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is a handscroll painted with ink and color on silk, supported by paper at the reverse.

Accession no.: 1993.51.1
Credit line: Bequest of Elizabeth Hamm Glass, 1991

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The handscroll, classified within the genre of mythology, depicts a dragon as its central subject.

The handscroll, classified within the genre of mythology, depicts a dragon as its central subject. In Chinese artistic tradition, dragons carry layered symbolic meaning: they are emblems of imperial authority, cosmic power, and the forces of nature such as rain and rivers, and they are frequently rendered in mythological contexts as auspicious, supernatural beings rather than literal creatures.

The choice of a dragon as the sole depicted subject, executed in ink and color on silk, aligns the work with a long-standing East Asian convention of pairing the mythological motif with the handscroll format, where the creature could be appreciated as it unrolled gradually before the viewer.

Technique & Style

Created in 1714, this handscroll is executed in ink and color on a silk support, which is backed with paper. The work originates from China and depicts a dragon within a mythological genre. Physically, the scroll measures 30.8 cm in height and extends to a width of 402.6 cm. The medium combines traditional painting materials with the specific format of a long, horizontal handscroll, characteristic of Chinese painting traditions. The artist remains anonymous.

History & Provenance

The work, an anonymous Chinese handscroll dated 1714, was likely produced in China; its creation is documented by the date 1714 and dimensions of 30.8 cm in height and 402.6 cm in width. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1993.51.1. The painting depicts a dragon.

Overview

The work is a handscroll painted with ink and color on silk, supported by paper at the reverse. Its composition follows the conventional Chinese format for scrolls, inviting the viewer to engage with the image in a sequential, right‑to‑left manner.

Context

Handscrolls of this type were commonly produced for private contemplation or ceremonial display in imperial and scholarly settings. The use of silk as a ground and the emphasis on a mythic animal align the piece with longstanding Chinese visual conventions.

Artist & collection

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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