Miniature Album with Figures and Landscape (Old Man on Donkey)

Zeng employs swift, expressive brushstrokes to delineate the donkey’s legs and tail, giving the impression of motion. The figure’s sleeve and the animal’s tail are suggested with a few fluid lines, while large areas of untouched paper provide contrast and emphasize the spontaneity of the sketch. Ink calligraphy occupies the left margin in vertical columns, integrating text and image.

Created in 1822, the work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through a 20th‑century acquisition, though the exact path of ownership before its arrival is not fully documented. Its presence in the museum’s collection reflects the institution’s interest in Chinese miniature painting and the development of sketching practices during the Qing period.

Zeng Yangdong was known for his rapid, sketch‑like approach, a style that aligns with the literati tradition of valuing immediacy and personal expression over meticulous detail. This piece exemplifies that aesthetic, combining a modest narrative scene with calligraphic elements, a common pairing in Chinese album paintings that blended visual and literary art forms.