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清王翬倣巨然燕文貴山水圖卷|Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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清王翬倣巨然燕文貴山水圖卷|Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

清王翬倣巨然燕文貴山水圖卷|Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui

清王翬倣巨然燕文貴山水圖卷|Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Hui. It dates from 1713 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1979.458.2
Credit line: Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1979

About this work

A long, narrow handscroll of misty mountains, small temples, and a few boats on a river. Wang Hui painted it in 1713 in the style of the older masters Juran and Yan Wengui, adding his own quiet touches, like ink fading into the paper at the edges. For more soft, layered mountains, see landscapes.

Subject & Meaning

The composition is dominated by mountainous terrain, a central motif in the genre that reflects the artist's engagement with the styles of Juran and Yan Wengui.

Created in 1713, this handscroll by Wang Hui presents a traditional Chinese landscape scene. The composition is dominated by mountainous terrain, a central motif in the genre that reflects the artist's engagement with the styles of Juran and Yan Wengui. Within the broader natural setting, a boat is depicted, suggesting human presence and movement through the rugged environment.

As a work in the landscape painting genre, the piece functions as an interpretive homage to earlier masters rather than a depiction of a specific historical event or narrative. The inclusion of these elements, the mountains, the watercraft, and the overall scenic arrangement, serves to embody the aesthetic ideals of the Qing dynasty's revivalist movement, where the meaning lies in the synthesis of past artistic traditions.

Technique & Style

Created in 1713, this handscroll by Wang Hui is executed in ink and color on paper. The work functions as a landscape painting that synthesizes the stylistic approaches of the earlier masters Juran and Yan Wengui, a practice indicated by the title. The composition features traditional landscape elements, including mountains and a boat, rendered through the artist's characteristic handling of brush and pigment on the paper support.

As a handscroll, the piece is designed for sequential viewing, allowing the observer to traverse the depicted scenery. The medium of ink and color on paper supports the detailed rendering of natural forms typical of the Qing dynasty literati tradition, reflecting Wang Hui's mastery in emulating earlier masters while maintaining his own technical execution.

History & Provenance

The handscroll 清王翬倣巨然燕文貴山水圖, or Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui, was painted in 1713 by the Qing dynasty artist Wang Hui in China. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work follows the landscape tradition of Juran and Yan Wengui, depicting a boat amid mountainous scenery. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

No earlier owners, accession number, or exhibition history are documented in the available sources, indicating that the recorded provenance is confined to its creation in 1713 and subsequent acquisition by the museum.

Overview

This handscroll, created by Wang Hui in 1713, depicts a serene landscape rendered with ink and color on paper. Titled Landscape in the Style of Juran and Yan Wengui, the painting unfolds a panoramic view of misty mountains, small temples nestled within the terrain, and boats navigating a tranquil river. It exemplifies a traditional Chinese painting format designed for intimate viewing.

Context

Wang Hui's 1713 painting reflects a long-standing practice in Chinese art where later artists engaged with and reinterpreted the works of historical figures. By referencing Juran and Yan Wengui, painters active some seven centuries earlier, Wang Hui participated in a scholarly tradition of artistic lineage. This approach allowed artists to demonstrate their mastery of past styles while subtly introducing their own innovations within established aesthetic frameworks.