Who painted Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2)?

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) was painted by Xiao Yuncong in 1668.

Where can I see Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2)?

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2)?

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2)

Xiao Yuncong , 1668

Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) is an unspecified painting by the Baroque artist Xiao Yuncong. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This album of seasonal landscapes, leaf D, presents a tranquil autumn scene typical of southern China’s riverine terrain.

About this work

You see a small, quiet scene of misty hills, a winding river, and a few bare trees—autumn in southern China.

You see a small, quiet scene of misty hills, a winding river, and a few bare trees—autumn in southern China.

Xiao Yuncong painted these leaves like pages in a diary. He walked the same hills, watched the same seasons change, and turned his sketches into delicate ink washes. The colors are soft, almost like watercolor, but done with ink and light brushstrokes.

If you like this, look up *china, qing dynasty (1644-1911)* for more landscapes from the same time.

Overview

This album of seasonal landscapes, leaf D, presents a tranquil autumn scene typical of southern China’s riverine terrain. Mist‑shrouded hills recede behind a sinuous waterway, punctuated by a few skeletal trees. The composition, rendered in delicate washes, captures the fleeting quality of the season while maintaining a sense of spaciousness and quiet observation.

Subject & Meaning

The image records a specific moment in the artist’s ongoing visual diary, documenting the recurring cycles of nature he witnessed while traveling the Jiangnan region. By focusing on bare trees and subdued tones, the work conveys the transience of autumn and reflects a contemplative engagement with the landscape’s seasonal transformation.

Technique & Style

Executed with light ink washes that mimic watercolor, the painting employs soft brushstrokes and a restrained palette to suggest atmospheric depth. Xiao Yuncong’s background as a print designer informs the precise yet fluid line work, while his characteristic use of fresh, luminous colors anticipates later developments in the Shanghai school of painting.

History & Provenance

Originally part of the collection of Li Yufen in Yangzhou, the album later entered the possession of Wu Hufan, a noted Shanghai collector. Xiao’s personal seal appears beneath his poetic inscriptions in the upper area, whereas red seals added in the margins and lower corners belong to these subsequent owners, marking the work’s passage through private hands.

Context

Xiao Yuncong’s journeys to Nanjing and Yangzhou placed him within the fertile, water‑rich Jiangnan landscape that inspired many Qing‑dynasty artists. His practice of painting directly from nature, combined with his experience in print design, positioned him at the intersection of traditional literati painting and emerging commercial aesthetics of the period.