Hall of Quiet Study
19th century
Medium
Watercolor on hot pressed paper
Dimensions
Image: 6 7/8 × 10 1/2 in. (17.5 × 26.6 cm) Sheet: 8 7/16 × 11 7/16 in. (21.4 × 29.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1959
Accession Number
59.644.57
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the serene "Hall of Quiet Study," a delicate 19th-century watercolor on hot pressed paper by an anonymous artist from Canton, China. during a time when Canton (modern-day Guangzhou) was a bustling of international trade under the Qing Dynasty's Canton System, this artwork captures an intimate interior scene likely evoking the Confucian ideal of scholarly retreat. Featuring tables and furnishings bathed in soft light, it invites viewers to imagine the hush of contemplation amid stacks of books and writing tools. The smooth hot pressed paper enhances the watercolor's precision, allowi...