Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Location History:
Acquired in China between 1898 and circa 1926 by DuBois Schanck Morris (Princeton Class of 1893), who was based in Anhui province, China, during that period; the painting was later gifted to the Princeton University Art Museum in 1947.
Min Zhen's hanging scroll known as Black Cat presents a single, large feline rendered almost entirely in ink monochrome on paper, without any setting, ground line, or surrounding object to anchor it in space. The animal occupies the composition alone, its bulk built up through varied ink tones — dense, saturated strokes for the darkest fur, and lighter, drier brushwork where the coat catches an implied light. This deliberate emptiness around the subject is a hallmark of the loose, expressive brushwork associated with the "eccentric" Yangzhou painters, a loosely defined circle of eighteenth-century Qing dynasty artists (sometimes including Min Zhen) who broke from academic convention in favor of spontaneity and individual voice. Min Zhen, orphaned young and known to have painted with his bare fingers on occasion rather than a brush, was chiefly recognized for figure painting, so a large-scale animal study like this one stands out within his broader body of work. Two seals appear near the signature: a square relief seal reading "Min Zhen" and a second, intaglio seal. The scroll itself is substantial once mounted — measuring roughly 78.5 by 38.5 centimeters for the painted surface alone, and stretching to 231 by 58.2 centimeters including its full silk mounting, a scale that would have made the piece a commanding presence when hung. No date is inscribed on the work, and the museum records it simply as eighteenth century, in keeping with the artist's active years in Hubei province during the Qing dynasty. The painting's focus on a single ordinary animal, isolated and enlarged, gives it an unusual intimacy and humor rare among more formal Qing-era paintings of the period.
The painting belongs to the Chinese ink and wash style, which is based on the use of ink in varying shades, ranging from light gray to deep black.
In this painting, we have a seemingly simple depiction of a large cat standing, with what appears to be a slight smile on its face. However, what makes this painting distinctive despite its simplicity is the skillful use of ink in varying shades, as we can see in the tail, abdomen, and the white patch on its chest. The shading in these areas ranges from gray to dark black.
It also appears that the painting was left unfinished, as the cat’s legs are only outlined and have not been filled in with color.
