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Lady catching a butterfly

Xie Zhiliu Chinese
1944
Not on view
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Like his friend Zhang Daqian, whom he accompanied to Dunhuang, Xie Zhiliu was obsessed with Chinese painting history. He used his time among the ancient murals of the desert oasis to expand his horizons as a painter and an art historian. Like Zhang, Xie was fascinated by the female figures he saw there—especially the brightly colored examples from the Tang dynasty (618–907). According to Xie’s inscription, this was made shortly after his return from Dunhuang using techniques he learned from studying the Tang murals.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 現代　謝稚柳　撲蝶圖　軸
  • Title: Lady catching a butterfly
  • Artist: Xie Zhiliu (Chinese, 1910–1997)
  • Period: Republic period (1912–49)
  • Date: 1944
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
  • Dimensions: Image: 40 5/8 in. × 26 in. (103.2 × 66 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 87 1/2 × 34 in. (222.3 × 86.4 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 87 1/2 × 38 1/4 in. (222.3 × 97.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Promised Gift of Jack and Susy Wadsworth
  • Object Number: L.2022.15.27
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art