The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 10, 2026

A painting on silk depicts a landscape where steep, rounded mountains are defined by layered vertical brushstrokes and dark dots conveying sparse vegetation. Below, several small houses sit nestled among spindly, leafless trees. To the left, low hills recede toward a pale expanse of water. Vertical columns of Chinese calligraphy occupy the upper left corner, while a small red seal marks the bottom right against the muted, cream-colored silk background.

Dwellings beneath Folded Hills

1847

Tsubaki Chinzan

(Japanese, 1801–1854)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
album leaf; ink and color on silk
Each leaf: 41 x 31.5 cm (16 1/8 x 12 3/8 in.)
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith 1985.251.9
Location: Not on view

Description

As the title of this album suggests, Tsubaki Chinzan painted each of the landscapes included in the album after interpretations of the styles of old masters by Chinese painter Zhai Dakun (翟大坤, active 1730–1804). In addition to the painted compositions, he also copied the inscriptions on Zhai Dakun's paintings.
  • (Katsuhiko Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan, sold to Mr. and Mrs. Kelvin Smith)
    1985–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Yamanouchi, Chōzō 山內長三. Nihon nangashi 日本南画史 [The history of Japanese nanga painting]. Tōkyō: 瑠璃書房: 発売 六興出版, 1981. Reproduced: pp. 471–473
    “Checklist of the Kelvin Smith Bequest.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 75, no. 7 (September 1988): 292–295. Mentioned: p. 294 www.jstor.org
  • {{cite web|title=Dwellings beneath Folded Hills|url=false|author=Tsubaki Chinzan|year=1847|access-date=10 April 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.251.9