Flower Painting

Mianyi

late 18th century

Ink and color on paper

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A painting on paper depicts a cluster of white daffodils with yellow centers and green leaves, alongside a branch with reddish-brown, textured growths that resemble fungi or rock formations. Chinese calligraphy and red seals are visible on the left side. These delicate flower studies were painted by Mianyi, an imperial prince who lived in Beijing during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The four double leaves originally formed an album that was once in the imperial collection. The frontispiece, in fact, bears the seal of the Jia Jing emperor who reigned from 1796 to 1821. Like most of the educated elite, Mianyi was well versed in classical literature, music, and calligraphy, but he excelled at painting and is best known for his flower studies, The use of color (versus ink), interest in descriptive detail, and facile technique are typical not only of Prince Chen, bu