Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist Wang Wei. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a mountainous terrain, a subject identified in the catalog as a mountain within a landscape painting.
Untitled is a 1639 handscroll painted in ink and color on silk, classified as a Chinese landscape painting. The work depicts a mountainous terrain, a subject identified in the catalog as a mountain within a landscape painting. Its composition follows the handscroll format, allowing a continuous visual flow across the silk surface.
The painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection and was created in China. This aligns with the genre of landscape painting documented for the work.
Technique & Style
Created in 1639, this handscroll landscape is executed in ink and color on a silk support. The work measures 26.7 centimeters in height and 203.7 centimeters in width. As an anonymous piece attributed to an unidentified Chinese painter, it employs traditional brushwork techniques suited to the silk medium to depict mountainous terrain.
The formal composition unfolds across the long horizontal format, characteristic of the handscroll genre, guiding the viewer through a painted landscape. The combination of ink and pigment on silk allows for nuanced tonal variations and delicate coloration within the scene. The work remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving the physical integrity of the silk and the stylistic conventions of mid-seventeenth-century Chinese landscape painting.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled was produced in 1639 in China as a handscroll executed in ink and color on silk, classifying it as a landscape painting that depicts a mountain. Its authorship is attributed to an anonymous painter, listed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue as Wang Wei|Unidentified artist. The painting entered the museum’s collection under accession number 45.170.2 and remains on view at the Met, representing the earliest documented phase of its ownership.
No commissioning details are recorded, and the work’s creation history is limited to its material technique and genre.
The handscroll painting titled Untitled, dated 1639, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, attributed to an anonymous Chinese artist, carries the museum accession number 45.170.2. Described as a landscape painting depicting mountains, the silk scroll measures 26.7 centimeters in height and 203.7 centimeters in width.
While the sources confirm the artwork's current location and inventory details within the museum's holdings, no specific exhibition history or past display records are provided in the available documentation.
Overview
This handscroll, titled Untitled, is an ink and color painting on silk, traditionally attributed to the artist Wang Wei and dated 1639. The artwork presents a serene landscape, characterized by soft blue mountains, delicate trees, and a river that gently disappears into a misty distance. Its elongated format invites a contemplative viewing experience, unfolding a continuous vista rather than a single fixed scene.
Artist & collection
