Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Grapevine in the Wind

16th century
Not on view
A wind-tossed grapevine, heavy with ripening fruit, is rendered with masterfully fluent brush techniques. The sway of the serpentine branches is executed with strokes of changing speed and pressure to suggest both contour and volume in a technique known as “flying white” (in which areas of unpainted silk are left visible). The contrasting textures of the plump fruit and fragile leaves are achieved with carefully modulated tones of ink.

Along with the so-called Four Gentlemen (plum, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and orchid), the grapevine was a favored motif among literati painters of the Joseon dynasty. As a vehicle for displaying the artist’s calligraphic techniques and styles—a talent every scholarly gentleman was expected to possess—ink monochrome works of grapevines were considered a worthy part of the literati painter’s repertoire.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 작자미상 포도 조선
  • 作者未詳 墨葡萄圖 朝鮮
  • Title: Grapevine in the Wind
  • Artist: Unidentified artist
  • Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
  • Date: 16th century
  • Culture: Korea
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on silk
  • Dimensions: Image: 34 1/2 in. × 19 in. (87.6 × 48.3 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 77 × 24 1/2 in. (195.6 × 62.2 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 77 × 27 in. (195.6 × 68.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift and Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1994
  • Object Number: 1994.439
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara, Unidentified artist, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Korea
Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara
Unidentified artist
14th century
Sword with Scabbard, Steel, wood, bronze, gold, silver, iron, pigment, textile, Korean
Sword with Scabbard
Korean
16th–19th century
Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha, Unidentified artist Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan
Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha
Unidentified artist
ca. 1383
Archer's Ring, Cowhorn, Korean
Archer's Ring
Korean
16th–19th century
Emperor Xuanzong's flight to Shu, Unidentified artist Chinese, active mid-12th century, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, China
Emperor Xuanzong's flight to Shu
Unidentified artist
mid-12th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.