Portrait of Huang Jianyuan (1844–1911)

Landscape by Ding Shangyong Chinese

undated, late nineteenth century

Not on view

A gentleman in a robe of blue silk gazes out at the viewer, a yellow chrysanthemum clutched delicately in his left hand. In the foreground, a plant of blossoming chrysanthemum clusters next to a gnarled rock, while in the background more flowers grow at the base of a parasol tree, which arcs gently above the scholar, framing him in the center of the picture. The subject is Huang Jianyuan (1844–1911), a late Qing scholar-official. The painter of the portrait itself did not sign the work; the inscription is by Huang’s friend Ding Shangyong (active late 19th century), a scholar-official and painter who added the landscape background. The deep shading of the face likely reflects the portrait painter’s knowledge of photography, which was introduced to China in the 1860s.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Portrait of Huang Jianyuan (1844–1911)
Artist: Landscape by Ding Shangyong (Chinese, active late 19th century)
Artist: Portrait by Unidentified artist
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Date: undated, late nineteenth century
Culture: China
Medium: Hanging scroll (framed); ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Image: 51 1/8 × 36 1/4 in. (129.9 × 92.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Gifts, 2023
Object Number: 2023.300
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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