Artwork
清 吳歷 墨井草堂消夏圖 卷|Whiling Away the Summer at the Ink-Well Thatched Hut
清 吳歷 墨井草堂消夏圖 卷|Whiling Away the Summer at the Ink-Well Thatched Hut is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wu Li. It dates from 1679 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1977.81
- Credit line
- Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1977
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is classified as a landscape painting and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The handscroll by Wu Li, dated 1679, portrays a tranquil riverside scene with a bird amid water and foliage, reflecting typical literati interests in nature and seasonal leisure. The thatched hut named in the title suggests a scholar's retreat for contemplation, and the composition conveys a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world, embodying the Qing-era scholar's desire to "while away" the summer heat through artistic immersion in the landscape. The work is classified as a landscape painting and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Created in 1679, the handscroll Whiling Away the Summer at the Ink-Well Thatched Hut is executed in ink on paper. Classified as a landscape painting, it depicts a river and natural scenery within a formal composition. As a Chinese handscroll, the piece is designed for sequential viewing, unrolled to reveal the progression of the landscape, while the ink-on-paper medium relies on tonal variation and brushwork rather than color.
The artwork is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a significant example of Wu Li's landscape style from the Qing dynasty.
History & Provenance
Created in 1679 by the Chinese artist Wu Li, this handscroll, 'Whiling Away the Summer at the Ink-Well Thatched Hut,' was executed in ink on paper in China. It depicts a landscape featuring a river and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 1977.81, indicating it joined the museum's holdings in 1977. The specific circumstances of its original commission and the detailed chain of ownership before its museum acquisition are not recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history beyond its presence in the museum's collection is documented.
Overview
This handscroll, titled Whiling Away the Summer at the Ink-Well Thatched Hut, is an ink painting on paper by Wu Li. It presents a serene landscape composition, characteristic of traditional Chinese painting. The long, narrow format invites viewers to slowly unroll and contemplate a continuous vista of nature, revealing the artist's refined brushwork and tranquil vision.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wu Li, SJ (simplified Chinese: 吴历; traditional Chinese: 吳歷; pinyin: Wú Lì); ca. 1632-1718 was a Chinese landscape painter, Christian poet, calligrapher and Jesuit missionary priest from Jiangsu who lived during the Qing…
