Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Li Mu. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 15.97.3
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1915
About this work
Subject & Meaning
No additional attributes or symbolic elements are recorded; the work's meaning is therefore tied to the representation of the individual himself.
The painting presents a solitary male figure, identified in the catalogue records as a man, making the subject a portrait of an unnamed sitter. No additional attributes or symbolic elements are recorded; the work's meaning is therefore tied to the representation of the individual himself. The figure occupies the central space of the composition, and the lack of accompanying motifs leaves the iconographic content limited to the portrayal of a male likeness.
This focus on a single sitter underscores the work's function as a straightforward portrait rather than a narrative or allegorical scene.
Technique & Style
Created in 1749, this album leaf features a portrait of a man executed in ink and color on a silk support. The work measures 34.3 cm in height and 30.2 cm in width. As a painted album leaf, the piece utilizes traditional materials associated with East Asian portraiture, combining mineral or organic pigments with ink washes on a woven textile ground.
The composition focuses on the depiction of a single male figure, adhering to the genre conventions of the period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1749, this album leaf titled Untitled was executed by the artist Wang Li Mu. Rendered in ink and color on silk, it depicts a male figure and resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 15.97.3 and classified as a portrait. The work measures 34.3 cm in height and 30.2 cm in width.
No details regarding a specific commission or an ownership chain prior to the museum's acquisition are provided in the available records, and no exhibition history has been documented.
Overview
Created in 1749, this small silk album leaf by Wang Li Mu presents a solitary figure seated on a rock. The man, dressed in a flowing blue robe and shaded by a dark hat, holds a scroll in his hands. Behind him, faint ink washes suggest distant, mist‑shrouded mountains, giving the composition a tranquil, introspective atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wang Li Mu painted delicate album leaves on silk in the 18th century, using ink and color to capture small, quiet moments.
