Artwork
明/清 項聖謨 秋景圖 冊頁|Autumn Landscape, leaf from Album for Zhou Lianggong
明/清 項聖謨 秋景圖 冊頁|Autumn Landscape, leaf from Album for Zhou Lianggong is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Xiang Shengmo. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A river winds between steep mountains, small trees cling to the cliffs, and a few travelers follow a narrow path. Xiang Shengmo painted this leaf in 1654 for a friend's album, a book whose pages were each made by a different hand. His brushwork is light but sure, with no hesitation.
Technique & Style
The work functions as a landscape painting within a collective album format, depicting natural elements such as mountains and rivers.
Created in 1654, this leaf from an album by Xiang Shengmo is executed in ink and color on paper. The work functions as a landscape painting within a collective album format, depicting natural elements such as mountains and rivers. Physically, the sheet measures 24.8 cm in height and 33 cm in width.
As a piece from the Ming-Qing transition period, the medium combines traditional ink application with colored pigments on a paper support, characteristic of the artist's approach to landscape composition during this era. The handling of ink and color serves to define the terrain and atmospheric qualities of the scene, adhering to the conventions of Chinese landscape painting while maintaining the specific dimensions and material constraints of an album leaf.
History & Provenance
The leaf titled Autumn Landscape was created by Xiang Shengmo in 1654 as part of a collective album. The work is executed in ink and color on paper and depicts a landscape featuring mountains and rivers. While the specific commission details for this individual leaf are not explicitly recorded in the available sources, the album was produced for Zhou Lianggong, as indicated by the work's full title.
The piece originates from China and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The album consists of multiple leaves, with this specific leaf measuring 24.8 cm in height and 33 cm in width.
Legacy
Xiang Shengmo’s 1654 leaf, Autumn Landscape, entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, a fact recorded in its catalogue and affirmed by the museum’s acquisition data. The work’s inclusion alongside other Chinese landscape pieces has allowed scholars to trace continuities in brushwork and compositional strategies that later painters adopted, reinforcing the artist’s reputation as a bridge between Ming decorative traditions and Qing literati sensibilities. Its status as a conserved object in a premier institution has also inspired exhibitions that contextualize the piece within broader narratives of Chinese art history, thereby sustaining its scholarly relevance and influencing contemporary interpretations of early modern landscape painting.
Overview
This painting, titled Autumn Landscape, is a single leaf from a larger album created during the Ming or Qing dynasty by artist Xiang Shengmo. Rendered with ink and color on paper, the small-scale work depicts a serene natural scene. It features a river winding through towering mountains, with sparse trees clinging to the rocky terrain and a few figures traversing a narrow path.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork presents a classic Chinese landscape, emphasizing the grandeur of nature and humanity's place within it. A river meanders through steep, imposing mountains, while small trees punctuate the cliffs. The presence of travelers on a winding path suggests a journey or contemplation, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the quiet, expansive beauty of the natural world.
Artist & collection
