Who painted Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems?

Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems was painted by Wang Guxiang in 1531-01-01.

Where can I see Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems?

Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems?

Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

Artwork

Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems

Wang Guxiang , 1531

Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems is an unspecified painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Wang Guxiang. It dates from 1531 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

History & Provenance

The piece is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1977.

The painting Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems was created by the Chinese artist Wang Guxiang in 1531. This work, classified as a painting, originates from China and is dated specifically to January 1, 1531. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1977.4. The artwork was produced during the Ming dynasty by Wang Guxiang, who lived from 1501 to 1568.

The painting Flowers of Four Seasons, with Poems by Wang Guxiang is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work entered the museum's holdings under the accession number 1977.4. Created in 1531, this piece remains part of the institution's permanent collection in Cleveland.

Overview

Created in 1531 by Wang Guxiang, a Ming‑era painter from Changzhou, this narrow hand‑scroll presents a sequence of floral and avian motifs. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection and exemplifies the Ming tradition of integrating poetry with visual art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition arranges four small vignettes, each featuring blossoms that subtly shift in colour and form to suggest the progression of the seasons. Accompanying each scene are brief poetic inscriptions, linking the visual representation of nature’s cycles to literary reflection.

Technique & Style

Wang employs a restrained palette of pinks, greens and blues on a light ground, rendering leaves and petals with a few swift brushstrokes. Delicate birds are perched among the branches, their forms suggested by loose, expressive lines that convey movement while maintaining overall compositional balance.

Context

The painting reflects the Ming court’s appreciation for the scholarly ideal of the literati painter, who combined calligraphy, poetry, and painting. The integration of textual verses with natural imagery aligns with contemporary aesthetic values that prized harmony between the written word and visual observation.

Reviewing the Examination Results, Qiu Ying

Artist & collection

Artist

Wang Guxiang

Wang Guxiang (Wang Ku-hsiang, traditional: 王谷祥, simplified: 王谷祥); ca. 1501–1568 was a Chinese landscape painter during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Wang was born in Changzhou in the Jiangsu province. His style name was…