Artwork
清 惲壽平 倣宋元山水圖 冊|Landscapes in the manner of Song and Yuan masters
清 惲壽平 倣宋元山水圖 冊|Landscapes in the manner of Song and Yuan masters is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Yun Shouping. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
You see ten small ink-and-color scenes of misty mountains, winding rivers, and tiny figures on paths.
Yun Shouping painted these in 1667, copying styles from China’s Song and Yuan dynasties, like a musician playing old songs. He didn’t just copy; he added his own quiet touch, making the scenes feel fresh.
To see how other artists painted mountains like this, look up landscapes.
Subject & Meaning
The painting, created in 1667 by Yun Shouping, is one leaf of an album of ten paintings executed in ink and color on paper. It belongs to the landscape genre and portrays a mountain, reflecting the continuation of Chinese artistic conventions from the Song and Yuan periods into the Qing era. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a combination of monochrome ink and applied pigments to render topographical features, adhering to the material practices of the period.
Created in 1667, this album comprises ten landscape paintings executed in ink and color on paper by Yun Shouping. The work functions as a formal study in the manner of Song and Yuan masters, depicting mountainous scenery within a genre defined by traditional Chinese landscape conventions. Each sheet measures approximately 27 cm in height and 39.7 cm in width, reflecting the standard dimensions of an album leaf format.
The artist employs a combination of monochrome ink and applied pigments to render topographical features, adhering to the material practices of the period.
History & Provenance
The work titled 清 惲壽平 倣宋元山水圖 冊, also known as Landscapes in the manner of Song and Yuan masters, was created in 1667 by the Chinese painter Yun Shouping as an album of ten ink and color paintings on paper. It was produced in China and exemplifies the landscape genre, depicting mountain scenes in the style of Song and Yuan masters. The album is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. No specific accession number or exhibition history is provided in available documentation.
Overview
Yun Shouping, an influential painter and calligrapher of the early Qing dynasty, created this album of ten landscapes in 1667. Titled Landscapes in the manner of Song and Yuan masters, the series is executed with ink and color on paper. It showcases his distinctive approach to traditional landscape painting, reflecting both historical styles and his individual artistic voice. This work exemplifies his significant contribution to Chinese art during a period of dynamic artistic development.
Context
Yun Shouping was recognized as one of the "Six Masters" of the early Qing dynasty, a group that included the Four Wangs and Wú Lì. This designation highlights his significant role in shaping the artistic landscape of his era. His practice of drawing inspiration from earlier Song and Yuan dynasty painters was part of a broader trend among Qing artists to engage with and reinterpret the rich heritage of Chinese landscape painting, contributing to a dynamic artistic dialogue.
Artist & collection
Artist
Yun Shouping (Chinese: 惲壽平; 1633 – 1690), also known as Nantian (Chinese: 南田), was a Chinese calligrapher and painter.
