清 石濤 (朱若極) 歸棹 冊 紙本|Returning Home
ca. 1695
Medium
Album of twelve leaves; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image (each): 6 1/2 × 4 1/8 in. (16.5 × 10.5 cm) Each leaf with painting: 8 5/16 × 5 5/16 in. (21.1 × 13.5 cm) Each double leaf unfolded: 8 5/16 × 10 5/8 in. (21.1 × 27 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
From the P. Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Family, Gift of Wen and Constance Fong, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Dillon, 1976
Accession Number
1976.280a–n
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Returning Home (歸棹 冊)** by Shitao (Zhu Ruoji), ca. 1695, invites viewers into the poetic world of Qing dynasty (1644–1911) literati painting. This intimate album comprises twelve leaves of ink and color on paper each image a compact 6½ × 4⅛ inches (16.5 × 10.5 cm), designed to unfold like a personal scroll for contemplation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Department, it was a generous gift from the P. Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Family in 1976. Shitao, a monk-turned-master painter (1642–1707), broke from the orthodox "Four Wangs" style, pioneering a bold, individualistic approach. His "one-stroke" theory emphasized fluid, expressive brushwork to capture the essence of nature, blending Manchu Qing influences with Ming loyalist spirit. In this work, misty landscapes and serene boats evoke the wanderer's journey homeward—a timeless Chinese motif symbolizing retreat from worldly strife. These delicate vignettes highlight the album format's charm: portable artistry for scholars to savor over tea. Shitao's innovative techniques, merging precise ink lines with subtle colors, underscore painting's role in conveying emotion and harmony with nature, making this a cornerstone of Chinese artistic innovation.