Artwork
清 倣王時敏 山水 扇面|Landscape
清 倣王時敏 山水 扇面|Landscape is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Shimin. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This artwork, titled Landscape, is rendered in ink on gold paper, originally as a folding fan before being mounted as an album leaf.
About this work
This fan shows soft gray mountains rising behind a few bare trees and a tiny temple. The paper shines gold under the ink.
The date is probably wrong, it says 1648, but the style looks later. The artist may not be Wang Shimin at all. Still, the way the ink bleeds into the gold gives the scene a quiet glow.
If you like these misty Chinese landscapes, look up more works in the subject: mountains.
Subject & Meaning
The iconography is strictly defined by the mountainous terrain, which serves as the primary visual element within the genre of landscape painting.
Executed in 1805, this work presents a landscape composition centered on the depiction of mountains. Created as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf, the piece utilizes ink on gold paper to render its subject matter. The iconography is strictly defined by the mountainous terrain, which serves as the primary visual element within the genre of landscape painting.
While the title suggests an imitation of the style of Wang Shimin, the specific symbolic meaning or narrative representation beyond the physical presence of the mountains is not explicitly detailed in the available records. The work functions as a representation of natural topography, consistent with traditional Chinese landscape conventions where mountains often hold spiritual or philosophical weight.
History & Provenance
The landscape was executed in 1805 in China as a folding fan, later mounted as an album leaf on gold paper using ink. Its creation is documented as part of Qing dynasty artistic practice, though the precise commission or patron is not recorded. The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which catalogues the piece under accession number 13.100.43 and attributes it to an anonymous painter, while the title references the style of the Qing artist Wang Shimin. No exhibition history is documented in the available records.
Context
Attributed in title to the style of Wang Shimin and dated 1805, this folding fan serves as an album leaf painted in ink on gold paper, situating it within the landscape genre and portraying a mountain. Its creation in China and presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection reflect the enduring influence of Qing literati landscape traditions and indicate scholarly attention to such works. The piece demonstrates a continuity from earlier mountain imagery to 19th‑century artistic practice, marking its significance within the historical trajectory of Chinese landscape painting.
Overview
This artwork, titled Landscape, is rendered in ink on gold paper, originally as a folding fan before being mounted as an album leaf. It presents a serene mountain scene, characteristic of traditional Chinese landscape painting. While attributed to Wang Shimin, the precise authorship and dating of this piece remain subjects of scholarly discussion, reflecting complexities in art historical attribution.
Technique & Style
Executed with ink on a luminous gold paper, the work achieves a distinctive visual quality. The ink's interaction with the gilded surface, particularly how it subtly bleeds, creates a gentle, radiant effect across the scene. This technique contributes to the overall misty aesthetic, a hallmark of certain Chinese landscape traditions, imbuing the mountains and trees with a soft, ethereal glow.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wáng Shímǐn (simplified Chinese: 王时敏; traditional Chinese: 王時敏; Wade–Giles: Wang Shih-min; c.
