Artwork

明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape

明/清  王鐸  山水圖  軸|Mountain Landscape, by Wang Duo, ink, 1651
明/清  王鐸  山水圖  軸|Mountain Landscape, by Wang Duo, ink, 1651

明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Duo. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

A tall scroll shows ink-black mountains rising from mist, with tiny trees clinging to cliffs.

A tall scroll shows ink-black mountains rising from mist, with tiny trees clinging to cliffs. A single figure walks a narrow path near the bottom.

Wang Duo painted this in 1651, right after the Ming dynasty fell. The empty spaces aren’t just sky, they’re grief, a quiet way to say everything changed. The brushstrokes look simple, but each one holds weight, like calligraphy.

If you like how ink feels alive on paper, look up cross-hatching.

Subject & Meaning

Wang Duo's 1651 work titled Mountain Landscape is a hanging scroll painted in ink on paper. The piece belongs to the landscape painting genre and was created in China, where it depicts a mountain as its primary subject. Measuring 117.2 cm in height by 54.9 cm in width, the vertical format is typical of hanging scrolls intended for display in scholarly settings.

The scroll is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which preserves the work for public exhibition.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1651, this landscape by Wang Duo is realized as a hanging scroll utilizing ink on paper. The work measures approximately 117.2 cm in height and 54.9 cm in width. As a monochromatic composition, the artist employs ink exclusively to render the mountainous subject matter, relying on the interplay of wash and line rather than mineral pigments.

The selection of paper as the support influences the absorption and spread of the ink, characteristic of literati painting traditions from China. While specific details regarding the current physical condition or the precise handling of the brushstrokes are not detailed in the available records, the formal classification remains firmly within the genre of landscape painting, focusing on the depiction of mountain forms through the established medium of ink on paper.

History & Provenance

Created in 1651 by the artist Wang Duo, this hanging scroll executed in ink on paper depicts a mountainous landscape. The work originated in China during the transitional period between the Ming and Qing dynasties. While specific details regarding its original commission or a chronological chain of previous owners are not provided in the available records, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The physical dimensions of the scroll are recorded as 117.2 centimeters in height and 54.9 centimeters in width.

Overview

This hanging scroll, titled Mountain Landscape, was created by Wang Duo in 1651. Executed in ink on paper, the artwork presents a dramatic mountain vista. Towering, dark peaks emerge from a swirling mist, while delicate trees cling to the sheer rock faces.

A solitary figure traverses a narrow path near the base, offering a sense of scale within the vast natural setting.

Context

Created in 1651, this work emerged shortly after the collapse of the Ming dynasty in 1644, a period of immense political and social upheaval in China. Wang Duo, a loyalist to the fallen dynasty, imbued his landscapes with a quiet melancholy. The painting's somber atmosphere and vast, empty spaces are often understood as a subtle expression of his personal grief and the broader sense of loss for the former regime.

清   惲壽平    山水   軸|Landscape
清 惲壽平 山水 軸|Landscape, Yun Shouping

Artist & collection

Portrait of Wang Duo

Artist

Wang Duo

Chinese, 1592–1652

Frequently asked questions

Who painted 明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape?

明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape was painted by Wang Duo in dated 1651.

Where can I see 明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape?

明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape?

明/清 王鐸 山水圖 軸|Mountain Landscape is associated with Baroque.