Scholar Admiring Autumn Scenery
ca. 1525
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 89 x 40 1/4 in. (226.1 x 102.2 cm) Overall with mounting: 137 3/4 x 44 in. (349.9 x 111.8 cm) Overall with knobs: 137 3/4 x 48 5/8 in. (349.9 x 123.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming (1368–1644) or Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
Accession Number
13.220.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
This evocative hanging scroll, created around 1525 during China’s Ming dynasty, captures a solitary scholar pausing amid an autumn landscape to contemplate the changing season. The composition blends delicate ink washes with subtle color accents on paper, a traditional format that allowed artists to convey both grandeur and intimacy through fluid brushwork. Such scenes were deeply rooted in literati culture, where educated men sought harmony with nature as a form of moral and intellectual renewal. The painting’s theme reflects enduring Chinese ideals of retreat and reflection, often associate...