Accession Number
1965/2.59

Title
Mountain village among pines and white clouds

Artist(s)
Chinese

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1368-1644

Medium & Support
fan mounted as hanging scroll, ink and color on silk

Dimensions
9 1/4 in. x 9 1/4 in. ( 23.5 cm x 23.5 cm )

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Label copy
Round fans like this one lent themselves well to incorporation into the hanging scroll format, for they were typically painted on silk rather than on more fragile paper. Some fan paintings mounted as hanging scrolls were formerly used as fans, in which case the painting will show signs of wear in the areas it was once bound to the frame of the fan. The use of fan paintings as the focal point of hanging scrolls is a testament to how fans were appreciated not only for their functionality, but for their artistic beauty as well.
This fan painting shows a mountain village teeming with activity. The peaceful scene provides a glimpse at daily life, depicting villagers pushing carts of goods and traveling into and out of town, sometimes on horseback. As the eye follows the white buildings and tan roofs weaving their way up the mountain slope, it encounters what appears to be a royal dwelling or city center capped with emerald green rooftops and enveloped by rolling white clouds.
exhibited summer 2010
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Round fans like this one readily lent themselves to the hanging scroll format, as they were typically painted on silk rather than on more fragile paper. Some fan paintings mounted as hanging scrolls were formerly used as fans; in such cases the painting shows signs of wear in the areas where it was once bound to the frame of the fan. The use of fan paintings as the focal point of hanging scrolls is a testament to how fans were appreciated not only for their functionality, but for their artistic beauty as well.
(6/28/10)
(Chinese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2010)

Subject matter
Round fans like the one mounted here lent themselves well to the hanging scroll format, for they were typically painted on silk rather than fragile paper. The use of fan paintings as the focal point of hanging scrolls is a testament to how fans were appreciated not only for their functionality, but for their artistic beauty as well.

Physical Description
This fan painting shows a mountain village teeming with activity. The peaceful scene provides a glimpse at daily life, depicting villagers pushing carts of goods and traveling into and out of town, sometimes on horseback. The eye follows this lively village of white buildings and tan roofs as it weaves its way up the mountain slope to what appears to be a royal dwelling or city center capped with emerald green rooftops and enveloped by rolling white clouds.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
bridges (built works)
fan-shaped
horses (equipment)
landscapes (environments)
mountains
trees
villages