Inscription: Artist's inscriptions and signatures

(1 column in clerical and standard scripts, on wooden album cover)

Scenes displaying the four seasons: winter. Servitor Qian Weicheng respectfully painted.

景敷四氣，冬。臣錢維城恭畫。

(1 column in standard script, on Leaf L)

Servitor Qian Weicheng respectfully painted

臣錢維城恭畫。

Artist's seals

Chen Cheng 臣城
Jingshi 敬事

Other inscriptions on paintings

Qing emperor Qianlong 清帝乾隆 (r. 1736-95), dated 1774:

Leaf A: 8 columns in semi-cursive script; 2 seals:

林葉冬來已漸稀，歸鴉繞樹匝三飛。
黃昏猶自蔽身宿，卻勝阿瞞無可依 。 [印]：比德、朗潤

Leaf B: 4 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

拒霜因可入初冬，嬝嬝芳姿照浦穠。
廻顧水華似相傲，耐寒還屬木芙蓉。 [印]： 几席有餘香

Leaf C: 7 columns in semi-cursive script; 2 seals:

洞口飛泉一道斜，是誰汎汎小舟拏。
藤蘿石上依然在，祇欠洲前蘆荻花。 [印]： 古香、太寳

Leaf D: 6 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

女史觀星兆自嘉，淨香競體足風華。
故應俯視黃金盞，祇號人間醒酒花。 [印]： 水月兩澂明

Leaf E: 8 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

山意惟餘枯樹攅，雲容欲雪澗收湍。
溪軒坐者宜青目，但是高人定耐寒。 [印]： 澂觀

Leaf F: 5 columns in semi-cursive script; 2 seals:

不妨葉面擎微雪，雅稱花心射曉暉。
獨恨品題遺陸羽，仍慙色相號楊妃。 [印]： 會心不遠、徳充符

Leaf G: 6 columns in semi-cursive script; 2 seals:

梵界經樓叠巘間，蒼松翠柏鎖孱顛。
雲容欲雪千巗冷，無事高僧靜掩闗。 [印]： 幾暇怡情、得佳趣

Leaf H: 4 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

蠟以黏英珊結子，有花有實冒冬榮。
惟應羅漢松高見，不屑別傳三友名。 [印]： 靜中觀造化

Leaf I: 6 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

小艇沿溪興致高，南枝春信屢相遭。
還應傲得襄陽孟，何必探尋踏雪勞。 [印]： 得佳趣

Leaf J: 6 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

赭英粉萼共爭新，不獨迎春且探春。
大矣乾元善資始，物猶如此況乎人。 [印]： 妙意寫清快

Leaf K: 10 columns in semi-cursive script; 1 seal:

一瀑高懸銀鑿落，四山攅積玉參差。
并刀剪水作花後，轉語堪詮杜老詩。 [印]： 潑墨

Leaf L: 7 columns in semi-cursive script, dated 1774; 4 seals:

朵開月月暎階脣，帶雪披風更可人。
須識此花深易理，四時一氣貫長春。
甲午新正月御題。 [印]： 乾隆鑑賞、三希堂精鑑璽、宜子孫、乾隆

[ Klaus F. Naumann , Tokyo, until 1988; sold to MMA]

Zurich. Museum Rietberg. "The Mandate of Heaven: Emperors and Artists in China," April 2, 1996–July 7, 1996.

Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. "The Mandate of Heaven: Emperors and Artists in China," August 3, 1996–November 10, 1996.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "When the Manchus Ruled China: Painting under the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)," February 2–August 18, 2002.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Chinese Painting, Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection," August 28, 2004–February 20, 2005.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Four Seasons," January 28–August 13, 2006.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City," February 1–May 1, 2011.

Wang Jie 王杰 et al. Midian zhulin shiqu baoji xubian 秘殿珠林石渠寶笈續編 (Catalogue of painting and calligraphy in the Qianlong imperial collection, second series). Preface dated 1793. Facsimile reprint of an original manuscript copy. 8 vols. vol. 7, Taipei: National Palace Museum, 1971, pp. 3617–21.

Barnhart, Richard M., Wen C. Fong, and Maxwell K. Hearn. Mandate of Heaven: Emperors and Artists in China: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Exh. cat. Zürich: Museum Rietberg, 1996, pp. 197–201, 227, cat. no. 40, fig. 36.