Who painted 明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons?

明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons was painted by Zheng Zhong in 17th century.

Where can I see 明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons?

明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons?

明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons

Zheng Zhong , 1628

明鄭重搜山圖卷|Searching the Mountains for Demons is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Zheng Zhong. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

Its execution employs fine brush lines and layered washes that create a sense of depth through gradations of ink tone and subtle color accents.

Searching the Mountains for Demons is executed as a handscroll on paper using ink and polychrome pigments. The work measures 27 cm in height and 847.1 cm in length, reflecting the traditional Chinese handscroll format. Its execution employs fine brush lines and layered washes that create a sense of depth through gradations of ink tone and subtle color accents.

The composition follows a continuous narrative scroll, guiding the viewer’s eye across a mountainous terrain populated by a solitary figure, while the stylistic treatment combines meticulous detail with expressive brushwork characteristic of early‑Ming landscape painting.

History & Provenance

Zheng Zhong produced the handscroll Searching the Mountains for Demons in 1628 in China, employing ink and color on paper. The work, classified as a landscape painting, was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. Its creation reflects the Ming‑era practice of depicting supernatural subjects within a mountainous setting, and the handscroll format suggests it was intended for personal contemplation rather than public display.

The painting’s documented presence in the Met’s collection establishes its modern ownership chain from the artist to the museum.

The handscroll Searching the Mountains for Demons by Zheng Zhong is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, dated to 1628, measures 27 cm in height and 847.1 cm in width. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record any exhibition history for the artwork.

Context

Searching the Mountains for Demons is a 1628 handscroll painted in ink and color on paper by Zheng Zhong. The work belongs to the landscape genre and was produced in China, where it remains in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a landscape painting of the early Qing period, it exemplifies the thematic and formal concerns of the era, particularly the depiction of human figures within rugged terrain.

Scholars have highlighted the piece as an important example for understanding the development of Chinese landscape painting and the artistic networks of the early 17th century, using its dated inscription and stylistic analysis to place Zheng Zhong within broader historical discourse.

Overview

Created in 1628 during the Ming dynasty, this hand‑scroll by Zheng Zhong presents a continuous landscape scene rendered in ink and color on paper. The composition unfolds horizontally, guiding the viewer’s eye across a series of rugged hills populated by small figures engaged in a nocturnal pursuit.

Subject & Meaning

The scroll portrays a group of men equipped with spears and torches as they ascend craggy terrain, ostensibly searching for unseen demons. Rather than depicting the climax of the hunt, the image captures the anticipatory stillness of the expedition, emphasizing the act of walking and the tension of the unseen threat.