White hibiscus (hibiscus syriacus), mu jin
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
White hibiscus (hibiscus syriacus), mu jin is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, depicting Broad-leaved Tree, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a single branch with white flowers and dark green leaves against a plain background. The flowers are large, with soft petals, and the leaves are glossy and pointed. The branch curves gently, giving the whole image a natural shape. The artist focused on the details of the leaves and petals, making them look almost real. This kind of careful painting was common in the Romanticism movement. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
A rectangular painting with a fine-line border depicts a white hibiscus flower, its dark green leaves ovate or three-lobed, measuring two to three inches long with short stems and bluntly toothed edges. The flower, borne singly in the upper leaf axils, is short-stalked and bell-shaped, spanning two to three inches across. Its color ranges from rose or purple to cream, white, or bluish tones, sometimes appearing in double form. Acquired in 1886, the painting’s source and acquisition method remain unidentified in the Asia Department registers.
Read the full account in the museum source.
