Artwork
南宋 傳閻次于 松壑隱棲圖 團扇|Hermitage by a pine-covered bluff

南宋 傳閻次于 松壑隱棲圖 團扇|Hermitage by a pine-covered bluff is an ink painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist Yan Ciyu. It dates from 1172 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition presents a pine‑covered bluff, rendered with controlled brushstrokes that emphasize the texture of bark and the depth of foliage.
The work is a Southern Song album leaf painted as a folding fan. It is executed in ink with polychrome pigments on silk, a support typical of courtly landscape albums of the period. The composition presents a pine‑covered bluff, rendered with controlled brushstrokes that emphasize the texture of bark and the depth of foliage.
Measured at 21.6 cm in height and 23 cm in width, the piece was created in 1172 in China and entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. Its formal treatment combines a restrained palette with subtle tonal gradations, characteristic of Southern Song landscape painting.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the Southern Song dynasty painter Yan Ciyu, this fan painting mounted as an album leaf is dated to 1172. Created in China, the work utilizes ink and color on silk to depict a landscape scene. The piece eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed. Physical dimensions recorded for the artwork are 21.6 cm in height and 23 cm in width.
Context
Attributed to the Southern Song artist Yan Ciyu, Hermitage by a pine-covered bluff is dated to 1172 and represents the landscape tradition of that era. The work is a fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink and color on silk. Currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting measures 21.6 cm in height and 23 cm in width.
As a surviving example of Southern Song fan painting, it provides insight into the landscape genre's development during the 12th century.
Overview
The painting Hermitage by a Pine-Covered Bluff (南宋 傳閻次于 松壑隱棲圖 團扇), attributed to the artist Yan Ciyu, was created in 1172. This artwork, executed with ink and color on silk, originally functioned as a fan before being mounted as an album leaf. It presents a detailed landscape scene, characteristic of Chinese painting traditions, inviting contemplation of nature.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a rocky bluff densely covered with trees, occupying the right side of the image. To the left, a tranquil body of water extends, traversed by a small bridge. The overall impression is one of quietude and natural harmony, suggesting a secluded retreat or a place for solitary contemplation, aligning with the "hermitage" aspect of its title.
Artist & collection
Artist
Yan Ciyu was a Chinese painter of the Southern Song dynasty, active around 1164 to 1181.

















