Artwork
清 葉欣 山水圖 冊 絹本|Landscapes

清 葉欣 山水圖 冊 絹本|Landscapes is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Ye Xin. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The album leaf attributed to Ye Xin (1652) portrays a tranquil landscape in which a wooden cart pulled by oxen traverses a misty valley.
The album leaf attributed to Ye Xin (1652) portrays a tranquil landscape in which a wooden cart pulled by oxen traverses a misty valley. In traditional Chinese visual language the cart and oxen function as symbols of agrarian labor, safe travel and the prosperity that arises from harmonious interaction with nature. By situating these elements within a rugged mountainous backdrop, the work suggests a contemplative balance between human activity and the natural world, reflecting the cultural ideal of stability and virtuous governance. The piece is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
Technique & Style
Created in 1652, this landscape album by Ye Xin consists of four leaves executed in ink and color on silk. The work is classified as a painting within the landscape genre, utilizing the traditional support of silk rather than paper. The artist employed both monochromatic ink and polychrome pigments to render the depicted scenery, which includes specific elements such as carts and oxen.
Produced in China during the Qing dynasty, the medium of ink and color on silk defines the tactile and visual character of the piece, allowing for the delicate brushwork typical of the period's album leaf format. The surviving work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work titled 清 葉欣 山水圖 冊 絹本|Landscapes was created by Ye Xin in 1652 in China. It is an album of four leaves painted in ink and color on silk, classified as a landscape that depicts a cart and oxen. The piece is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among its holdings of Chinese paintings.
No specific accession number, acquisition date, prior ownership details, or exhibition history is provided in the available sources, so the provenance record is limited to confirmation of its current institutional home.
Overview
This album, titled Landscapes, was created by Ye Xin in 1652. Comprising four individual leaves, the work employs ink and color on silk to render serene natural scenes. Each small painting features elements such as misty mountains, winding paths, and the presence of oxen pulling wooden carts, characteristic of traditional Chinese landscape painting. The delicate execution across the silk surface contributes to the work's subtle visual texture.
Artist & collection




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