Landscape dedicated to Xiang Yuanbian

Wen Jia

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The second son of Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), Wen Jia followed the precedent of his father and his father's mentor, Shen Zhou (1427–1509), and developed a thorough mastery of the painting styles of the four great masters of the late Yuan dynasty. Here, Wen Jia re-created the style of the Yuan master Wu Zhen (1280–1354), with its softly contoured mountains defined in pale texture strokes set off by dark black foliage dots. Wen painted this work for the famous art collector Xiang Yuanbian (1525–1590). In his longer inscription he transcribed the text of Summer Song, composed by the poet and official Huangfu Fang (1503–1582). In his shorter inscription he dedicated the painting to Xiang on the occasion of Xiang's fifty-fourth birthday. Xiang's enthusiasm for the work is attested to by the presence of fifteen of his seals.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art