Who painted 清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums?

清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums was painted by Yun Shouping.

Where can I see 清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums?

清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums?

清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums

Yun Shouping

清惲壽平菊花圖冊頁|Chrysanthemums is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Yun Shouping. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Rendered in ink and color on paper, the work belongs to the still-life genre and portrays the flower as its central motif.

The album leaf depicts chrysanthemums, a traditional flower subject in Chinese painting. Rendered in ink and color on paper, the work belongs to the still-life genre and portrays the flower as its central motif. In Chinese artistic tradition, chrysanthemums carry layered symbolic meaning, most notably representing endurance, longevity, and the resilience of nature, as the plant blooms into the late autumn when other flowers have faded.

Painted in 1777, the image aligns with the long-standing literati convention of using seasonal blossoms to convey moral and philosophical ideals, presenting the chrysanthemum as an emblem of refined character and quiet perseverance rather than as a purely decorative botanical study.

Technique & Style

The work is executed as an album leaf using ink and color on paper, a format that allowed the artist to present a single floral subject in an intimate, hand-held format. The composition is a still life focused on chrysanthemums, rendered in the traditional Chinese literati painting manner associated with Yun Shouping's flower studies.

The painted surface measures 30.2 cm in height by 20.6 cm in width, a modest scale typical of album-leaf format. The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Context

Yun Shouping's 1777 album leaf Chrysanthemums exemplifies Qing dynasty flower painting, combining precise botanical detail with delicate color washes. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work measures 30.2 × 20.6 cm and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a still‑life piece, it reflects the era's interest in natural subjects and the literati tradition of studying flora.

The painting's provenance and dimensions are documented in museum records, making it a key reference for studies of 18th‑century Chinese artistic practice.

Overview

Created in 1777, this album leaf by Yun Shouping presents a solitary chrysanthemum rendered with ink and subtle colour on paper. The composition is minimal, focusing on a single stem that appears to sway gently, set against a largely empty surface that emphasizes the flower’s fragility.

History & Provenance

Attributed to the Qing‑dynasty painter Yun Shouping, a noted practitioner of the literati flower tradition, the leaf forms part of a larger album of botanical studies. Its precise dating to 1777 situates it within the artist’s mature period, when his focus on subtle tonal variation was fully developed.