明 文徵明 太湖群嶼圖 扇面|View of Lake Tai

The work titled View of Lake Tai was produced in 1543 by the Ming dynasty painter Wen Zhengming as a folding fan, later mounted as an album leaf on gold‑flecked paper. It exemplifies Chinese landscape painting of the mid‑sixteenth century and measures 24.8 cm × 52.7 cm. The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view, establishing its modern ownership lineage from creation to present custodianship. The painting reflects the artist’s engagement with the scenic traditions of Lake Tai, a subject that recurs throughout his oeuvre.

The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as recorded in the collection and location fields of its Wikidata entry. It is catalogued as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on gold-flecked paper.

No specific accession number, department designation, or prior exhibition history is documented in the available sources.

View of Lake Tai, a folding‑fan painting attributed to Wen Zhengming and dated 1543, exemplifies the literati landscape tradition of the Ming dynasty. The work, rendered in ink and color on gold‑flecked paper, measures 24.8 cm by 52.7 cm and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a landscape painting. Scholars studying Ming art regard such fan paintings as intimate expressions of scholarly retreat, linking them to the broader trajectory of Chinese landscape art that influenced later generations.

Its inclusion in the museum’s collection underscores its significance within Wen Zhengming’s oeuvre and the development of Chinese painting.

Created in 1543, View of Lake Tai is a landscape by the Ming dynasty master Wen Zhengming, executed in ink and color on gold-flecked paper. Originally a folding fan, the work was later mounted as an album leaf, a common practice for preserving such delicate formats. The composition depicts the expansive waters and scattered islets of Lake Tai, a subject central to the Wu School's celebration of local scenery.

Wen divides the surface into distinct visual zones, utilizing the gold-flecked ground to enhance the luminosity of the scene while maintaining a restrained palette of soft greens, blues, and earth tones. The brushwork reflects his mature style, characterized by precise, calligraphic lines that define the rugged textures of the hills and the delicate foliage of the trees. Small boats and figures are integrated subtly into the vastness of the water, emphasizing the harmony between humanity and nature.

This work exemplifies Wen Zhengming's role as a leading figure of the Wu School, bridging the scholarly tradition of literati painting with a refined decorative sensibility suitable for the fan format. The inclusion of inscriptions along the edges further anchors the piece within the tradition of combining poetry and painting, a hallmark of his artistic identity during the mid-sixteenth century.

The artwork is composed of six distinct panels, each contributing to a panoramic view of Lake Tai. These sections feature gentle hills, verdant trees, and small vessels navigating the water, collectively evoking a peaceful natural environment. The composition emphasizes a contemplative mood, characteristic of traditional Chinese landscape painting that often seeks to inspire introspection through depictions of nature.