Artwork
Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf C (previous leaf 6)

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf C (previous leaf 6) is an unspecified painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Xiao Yuncong. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As part of a seasonal album, this leaf likely represents a specific time of year, though its exact seasonal symbolism is not explicitly detailed in the sources.
Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf C (1668) by Xiao Yuncong depicts a mountainous landscape, characterized by craggy peaks, clusters of trees, and winding paths. As part of a seasonal album, this leaf likely represents a specific time of year, though its exact seasonal symbolism is not explicitly detailed in the sources. The iconography aligns with traditional Chinese literati painting, where mountains and trees evoke themes of endurance, solitude, and harmony with nature.
Such landscapes often symbolize the scholar-gentleman’s ideal of retreat from worldly concerns, reflecting Confucian and Daoist values of contemplation and balance. The work’s meaning lies in its meditation on the natural world as a mirror of human virtue and spiritual tranquility.
History & Provenance
The leaf known as Leaf C from the Album of Seasonal Landscapes was created by the Chinese artist Xiao Yuncong in 1668. Executed in China, this landscape painting depicts natural elements including mountains and trees. The work is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1955.302.6.
While the specific details regarding the original commission or the immediate chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not detailed in the available records, the work is firmly dated to the late seventeenth century. Xiao Yuncong, who lived from 1596 to 1673, produced this piece during the height of his career, contributing to the album's status as a significant example of landscape painting from that era.
The work titled Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf C (previous leaf 6) is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1955.302.6. Its creation is dated to 1668 and it belongs to the landscape painting genre within the artist Xiao Yuncong’s oeuvre. The provided documentation does not record any exhibition history for this piece, indicating that it has not been listed in publicly available exhibition catalogues or records up to the present.
Overview
This painting, titled Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf C, was created by Xiao Yuncong in 1668. It is one leaf from a larger album, presenting a serene landscape scene. The work is characterized by its muted color palette and delicate brushwork, typical of Chinese landscape painting of the period. It is currently part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Xiao Yuncong employed an ink-wash technique, utilizing a subtle spectrum of grays, blues, and pale greens to define the landscape. The artist's hand is evident in the loose, sketchy lines that delineate the rough texture of rocks and the delicate, sparse branches of the trees. Chinese characters are inscribed at the top of the leaf, likely a poem or an identifying inscription, integrating calligraphy with the visual art.
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