Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Yuan. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small silk album leaf, executed with ink and color in 1777, presents a quiet outdoor scene.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work centers on the depiction of a rabbit, which serves as its primary subject within the composition. Created in 1777, the piece uses this animal as its focal motif. While the specific iconographic program or deeper symbolic meaning is not detailed in the available records, the rabbit anchors the work's visual narrative. The piece is recorded as the work of an anonymous artist.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with no artist named; its earliest documented date is 1777, aligning with the Qianlong era of Qing-dynasty China.
The work is recorded as an album leaf measuring 50.2 cm in height by 31.4 cm in width, painted in ink and color on silk and depicting a rabbit.
Context
Untitled (1777) is an album leaf painting in ink and color on silk that portrays a rabbit. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. Its format reflects the broader tradition of album leaf painting in eighteenth-century China, which combined naturalistic observation with established compositional conventions.
Overview
This small silk album leaf, executed with ink and color in 1777, presents a quiet outdoor scene. The composition centers on two robust rabbits perched on a tuft of grass, each engaged in nibbling foliage. The work measures only a few inches, reflecting the intimate scale typical of album pages used for personal collections.
Technique & Style
Fine brushwork defines the fur of the animals and the slender stems of the grass, employing subtle gradations of ink and muted pigments. The artist’s hand balances line and wash to convey texture without heavy detailing, a hallmark of traditional Chinese ink painting that emphasizes suggestion over explicit representation.
Artist & collection
