Cottages in a Misty Grove in Autumn

About the Artwork

This leaf is an early example of a new mode in landscape painting expressed in vistas of water-rich scenery that developed since the 900s. Li Anzhong, a court artist during the 1100s, witnessed the transition of the capital from Kaifeng across the Yangzi River to Hangzhou.

Inscriptions

Artist's inscription: In the ting-yu year [1117], Li An-chung painted. 2 seals of Wu T'ing (ca. 1600).

Provenance

Gao Shiqi 高士奇 [1645–1703], Hangzhou, China C. C. Wang 王季遷 [1907–2003], New York, NY Walter Hochstadter [1914–2007], New York, NY ?–1963: Severance A. [1895–1985] and Greta [Marguerite Steckerl] Millikin [1903–1989], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art 1963–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

1000 Jahre Chinesische Malerei. Haus der Kunst, Munich, Mùnich, Germany (organizer) (October 16-December 13, 1959). Fifteen Chinese Paintings from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MA (organizer) (October 9-28, 1964). Year in Review (1964). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 8, 1964-January 31, 1965). Wang Chi-ch'ien, Album Leaves from the Sung and Yuan Dynasties. China House Gallery (organizer) (March 26-May 30, 1970). Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (November 7, 1980-January 4, 1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 11-March 29, 1981); Tokyo National Museum (October 4-November 17, 1982). Visions of Landscape: East and West. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982). Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17, 1991-January 5, 1992). China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2023-January 7, 2024).

Quick Overview

Artist: Li Anzhong (Chinese, active first half of the 1100s)
Date: 1117
Medium: Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: Overall: 24.2 x 26.3 cm (9 1/2 x 10 3/8 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
Accession no.: 1963.588

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.