明/清 項聖謨 山水花鳥圖 冊|Landscapes, Flowers and Birds

The work is executed in ink with subtle colour washes on paper, forming part of an album of eight leaves. Each leaf is a paper support that would have been handled individually within the bound album, a common format for Ming–Qing scholar-painters. The brushwork combines delicate line work for the bird and flower motifs with atmospheric ink washes suggesting distant mountains and foliage, in the landscape idiom of the period.

The composition balances sparse brushstrokes with applied colour, reflecting literati aesthetic principles. The painting's condition is not documented; the medium remains ink and pigment on paper.

The album of eight paintings titled Landscapes, Flowers and Birds was created by Xiang Shengmo in 1639, executed in ink and colour on paper. Each leaf measures 28.3 by 22.5 centimetres. The work originated in China and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held.

Beyond its inception date and present institutional custody, no further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or successive provenance are recorded in the available sources, which also do not specify a unique accession number or an exhibition history for the album.

Created in 1639 by Xiang Shengmo, this album consists of eight ink and color paintings on paper depicting landscapes, flowers, and birds. The work was produced during the final years of the Ming dynasty, a period of profound political instability that deeply influenced the artist's output. The album features intimate scenes including mist-shrouded mountains, bamboo, orchids, a crane standing on one leg, and a sparrow perched on a branch.

Xiang employs a refined technique that balances meticulous detail with atmospheric depth, characteristic of the literati tradition. The composition of each leaf focuses on singular natural elements, often framed to emphasize isolation and tranquility. While the imagery appears serene, art historians often interpret the quietude as a reflection of the artist's loyalty to the fallen Ming court and his retreat from public life.

This album stands as a significant example of Xiang Shengmo's mature style, demonstrating his ability to synthesize the rigorous brushwork of the Song dynasty with the expressive sensibilities of his own time. The work remains a key document of late Ming painting, illustrating how traditional motifs were recontextualized amidst dynastic collapse.

Created in 1639, this album emerged during a period of significant political upheaval, coinciding with the final years of the Ming dynasty. While the external world faced turmoil, Xiang Shengmo's choice to depict peaceful natural subjects suggests a deliberate turn inward. The serene and undisturbed quality of these landscapes, flowers, and birds can be interpreted as a quiet reflection amidst a collapsing imperial order.