Landscapes after old masters

Du Xiang

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

By the late nineteenth century, when the little-known painter Du Xiang made this album, artists had been engaging with the same old-master styles for centuries, and the possibilities for an original contribution appeared to be running out. Nevertheless, Du persisted, creating something fresh and new by magnifying manners and exaggerating forms. See, for instance, the second leaf, in which the tenth-century artist Li Cheng’s classic composition of twin pines backed by mountains has been rendered as a tipsy, whimsical fantasia of lines unlike anything seen before or since.

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