Artwork
清 惲冰 花卉圖 册页|Flower Study
清 惲冰 花卉圖 册页|Flower Study is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Yun Bing. It dates from 1683 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition’s simplicity and precise brushwork underscore the artist’s focus on naturalistic representation rather than symbolic narrative.
The work is a Qing‑period album leaf titled Flower Study, created by Yun Bing in 1683. It portrays a single flower rendered in ink and color on paper, exemplifying the still‑life genre. As a botanical subject, the image reflects the era’s interest in detailed observation of nature and the scholarly appreciation of flora.
The composition’s simplicity and precise brushwork underscore the artist’s focus on naturalistic representation rather than symbolic narrative. Such works were often included in private collections to demonstrate the owner’s cultivated taste.
Technique & Style
The work is an album‑leaf painting executed in ink with subtle color washes on thin paper, a format typical of Qing dynasty flower studies. It belongs to the still‑life genre and depicts a single blossom rendered with fine brushstrokes and delicate tonal modulation.
The support is a single leaf of paper measuring approximately 31.1 cm in height and 34.3 cm in width, as recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalogue. The composition emphasizes the naturalistic detail of the flower while maintaining the restrained elegance characteristic of Yun Bing’s flower paintings.
History & Provenance
The album leaf titled Flower Study was created by the artist Yun Bing in 1683. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work depicts floral subjects within the still-life genre. It was produced in China and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The specific dimensions of the leaf are 31.1 cm in height and 34.3 cm in width.
Flower Study is a 1683 album leaf painting by Yun Bing, executed in ink and color on paper. The work measures 31.1 cm by 34.3 cm and portrays a flower. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s Chinese painting holdings.
The painting has been included in exhibitions focused on Qing dynasty art and Chinese floral subjects, though specific exhibition titles are not recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
Created in 1683, this album leaf by Qing‑period painter Yun Bing presents a solitary branch of peach blossoms rendered in soft pink ink on a cream‑toned paper. The composition occupies the entire surface, lacking any vase, background, or decorative frame, and invites close, handheld viewing typical of album formats.
Context
During the Qing dynasty, album leaves served as portable canvases for scholars and connoisseurs, allowing artists to experiment with composition on a small scale. Yun Bing’s focus on single‑flower subjects aligns with contemporary tastes for refined, understated elegance in decorative arts.
Artist & collection
