南宋 馬麟 蘭花圖 冊頁 絹本|Orchids

Ma Lin

second quarter of the 13th century · Album leaf; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

This exquisite representation of an orchid, signed by Ma Lin, son of Ma Yuan (act. ca. 1190-1225), exemplifies the style of formal realism favored by the aristocratic Southern Song court. The simple asymmetrical balance of flowers and leaves, meticulously rendered in subtle shades of lavender, white, and malachite green, bespeaks a consciously aestheticizing sensibility. Such flower paintings recall late Southern Song lyric poems about flowers.

Artist

Ma Lin

Date

second quarter of the 13th century

Medium

Album leaf; ink and color on silk

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973