Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2)1668 · Study 1955.302.2

Context from the museum

Throughout his lifetime, Xiao Yuncong visited Nanjing and Yangzhou, cities embedded in the fertile and water-rich Jiangnan region, as reflected in his paintings. Xiao painted from nature, and his landscapes are informed by the seasons and his travels, as well as by his experience as a print designer. Xiao’s fresh, light colors continue to appear in later Shanghai school paintings. This album was formerly in the collection of Li Yufen in Yangzhou and then owned by Wu Hufan in Shanghai. While the artist impressed his seal consistently below his poetic inscriptions in the upper parts of the composition, the red seals on the margins and in the lower corners of the paintings are impressions by the album’s previous owners.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Xiao Yuncong evoked dark, stormy summer weather with rich tones of ink.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) is 15.8 cm wide and 21 cm high, equivalent to approximately 6.2 × 8.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.75:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.03 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 5.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 142.1 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Album of Seasonal Landscapes, Leaf D (previous leaf 2) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, album leaf; ink and light color on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 15.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?