Landscape

Hu Yuan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Traditional methods of landscape painting are invoked by Hu in this fan. Mountain forms are built using a system of brush dabs, while forests are created by an assembly of ideogram trees. Dilute ink and pale colors soften the rigor of the traditional conception, producing work with an easy popular appeal. In 19th century China, there were no museums and few galleries dedicated to the exhibition and sale of paintings. Artists like Hu displayed their pictures and listed their prices for commission work, usually based on size, in fan shops, mounters' shops and stationery stores.

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