Untitled
The Met
Artist: Nakabayashi Chikkei(Japanese, 1816–1867)
Date: 19th century
Department: Asian Art
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: Image: 49 7/16 × 15 9/16 in. (125.5 × 39.5 cm) Overall with mounting: 83 5/8 × 21 1/4 in. (212.4 × 53.9 cm) Overall with knobs: 83 5/8 × 23 5/16 in. (212.4 × 59.2 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Harold B. Bilsky, 1975
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A misty mountain landscape with waterfalls, traditional buildings, flowering trees, and written characters
Detailed Description
This vertical scroll painting depicts a vast, misty mountain landscape rendered primarily in ink wash with subtle color accents. The composition is tall and narrow, with elements arranged vertically from top to bottom. In the upper left, a vertical column of dark characters is visible, accompanied by two square red seals below them. The top portion of the painting features towering, jagged mountain peaks that rise from a hazy, light background, their forms softened by mist. Sparse, dark green trees, possibly pines, dot the rocky ledges and summits. As the eye moves downwards, the mountains become more defined, revealing steep cliffs and flat-topped plateaus. Several waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides, appearing as thin white streaks against the darker rock. Midway down the scroll, a complex of buildings with dark roofs and light walls is nestled into the landscape, connected by winding paths or bridges that curve around the mountain contours. More clusters of pine trees are visible on prominent rocky outcrops. The lower section of the painting continues the misty atmosphere, with the base of the mountains obscured by a soft, white haze. In the lower left, a small, open-sided pavilion with a thatched roof stands near a body of water. Surrounding this structure are trees with delicate white or light pink blossoms, suggesting flowering trees. The very bottom of the scroll shows gentler, rounded hills leading to the water's edge. The overall color palette is dominated by muted greens, browns, and grays, set against a light beige paper, with white used for mist and water, and small touches of red for the seals and pink for the blossoms.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
