Album leaf

Qian Hui'an

c. 1875

Ink and color on paper

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Two figures rest near a large haystack under a pale moon. A bamboo pole leans against the haystack, and a woven fence is visible to the left. Qian Hui’an’s style incorporates elements from both Western and Chinese painting conventions. He uses expressive brushstrokes typical of traditional Chinese art to render nature, and he also uses a more defined sense of space, using shading and linear perspective, which is reminiscent of Western art conventions. Each album leaf depicts a different scene and theme. On leaf one, a man takes his son on a fishing expedition; the peach trees in bloom suggest the “Peach Blossom Spring, ” an otherworldly theme. On leaf two, the everyday scene is made unusual with an oddly shaped haystack and faceless main character. On leaf three, the them