元/明 呂敬甫 花蝶圖 軸 |Flowers
14th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 40 × 20 7/8 in. (101.6 × 53 cm) Overall with mounting: 81 1/2 × 25 1/2 in. (207 × 64.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1912
Accession Number
12.37.134
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant hanging scroll by Chinese artist Lü Jingfu depicts delicate flowers and butterflies in ink and color on silk. Created in the 14th century during the transition between the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the work belongs to the Ming period (1368–1644) and follows the longstanding tradition of Chinese flower-and-bird painting. The format of a vertical hanging scroll allowed viewers to appreciate the composition gradually, as it would have been unrolled and displayed in a scholar’s studio or refined interior. Lü Jingfu’s use of silk as a support highlights the luminous quality of the pigm...