Quails and Sparrows in an Autumn Scene1347 · Study 1997.91

Context from the museum

The flower-and-bird subjects here are depicted in a meticulous manner, echoing the academic tradition but translating the customarily colored images to plain monochrome. Fine ink lines combined with carefully graded washes define the contours and give subtle modeling to the natural forms. Wang Yuan excelled in flower-and-bird subjects as well as landscape and figure paintings. A child prodigy, he was instructed by the great Yuan master Zhao Mengfu at an early age.

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

A detail to notice

Wang Yuan was from Qiantang, today’s Hangzhou in eastern China.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting measurement for Quails and Sparrows in an Autumn Scene is 56 cm wide and 114.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 22.0 × 45.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.49:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.64 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 18.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 122.0 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 Quails and Sparrows in an Autumn Scene in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll, ink on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 56 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?