# Flowers of the Four Seasons

- By: Artist Unknown (Chinese)
- Date: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th/19th century
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 136.2 × 70.7 cm (53 5/8 × 27 7/8 in.)
- Culture: China
- Credit line: Purchase, Oriental Art Sundry Fund
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/60503)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/27440046-931e-8f6f-22f6-3ad8d3402631/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Meticulously outlined and colored with a finely tapered brush, these multiseasonal flowers—including iris, peony, lotus, poppy, lily, narcissus, chrysanthemum, nandina berry, and plum—display a draftsman-like style mastered by court artists. The inscription on this painting attributes its image of floral abundance to Yongrong, the sixth son of the Qianlong emperor (r. 1735-95). Prince Yongrong supervised the Imperial Household Department, which served diverse needs of the emperor and his family in the residential quarters of the palace. The attribution of this painting remains open to study.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0