Page from the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting
first edition printed in 1679
Medium
Circular fan-shaped woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 5/8 x 11 13/16 in. (24.4 x 30 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1924
Accession Number
CP24
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting page hails from the first edition of the *Mustard Seed Garden Manual of* (*Jieziyuan Huazhuan*), a landmark woodblock-printed compendium published in 1679 during China's Qing dynasty (16441911). Compiled by the scholar-artists Wang Gai, Wang Yi, and Wang Jian, along with publisher Shen Xinyou, manual served as a treasure trove of painting models, techniques, and compositions drawn from literati masters. This particular circular fan-shaped print, rendered in ink and color on paper, captures a serene landscape with houses nestled amid majestic mountains—a classic motif evoking ha...