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The 2 Most Famous Xu Lin Paintings, a Gallery Selection
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 2 works by Xu Lin in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Xu Lin left, the most famous is Untitled, in the collection of the The Palace Museum, Beijing. Our catalog holds 2 works by Xu Lin; the gallery has kept the 2 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
1462 – 1531
Most works: The Palace Museum
Xu Lin's top 10 paintings: the gallery's choice
The museums that keep Xu Lin's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Xu Lin | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Palace Museum |
Beijing | 2 | Untitled, Untitled |
Collectors' questions about Xu Lin's paintings
Which work is Xu Lin most famous for?Reveal the answer
Untitled.
How many paintings did Xu Lin leave?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 2 works by Xu Lin.
In which museums do Xu Lin's masterpieces hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in The Palace Museum (Beijing). The museum table above lists them all.
Which Xu Lin works hang at the The Palace Museum?Reveal the answer
Untitled and Untitled: the The Palace Museum, Beijing holds 2 of the works on this page.
Xu Lin: life and work
The Ink and the Scholar
The Ming dynasty provides the backdrop for the life of Xu Lin. Born in 1462, his existence is defined by the intersection of the written word and the visual mark. He moves through a world where calligraphy and poetry are not separate disciplines but a singular expression of the scholar's mind. His hand finds its rhythm in the semi-cursive script, a style that demands both discipline and a certain fluid spontaneity.
His work often takes the form of a folding fan, mounted as an album leaf. On gold-flecked paper, the ink settles with a specific weight. In pieces like Rain on Laurel Blossoms, the medium becomes a vessel for a poem by Chen Yuyi. The ink captures a moment of transition: the end of spring, the sight of blossoms under a light rain, and the melancholy of a traveler looking at the garden. The physical object—ink on gold-flecked paper—carries the weight of this seasonal shift.
Technical Precision and Form
Xu Lin’s output reflects a deep engagement with the classical traditions of China. His skill lies in the ability to marry the structural requirements of calligraphy with the emotional resonance of the poetry he inscribes. The brushwork is not merely decorative; it is a record of movement and thought.
- The use of semi-cursive script to convey poetic sentiment.
- The application of ink on gold-flecked paper to create depth.
- The integration of text and space within the format of a folding fan.
Historical Presence
The legacy of Xu Lin survives through the collections held in major institutions. His presence is felt in the archives of The Palace Museum in Beijing and within the holdings of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. These works exist as physical remnants of the Ming dynasty's intellectual life. While some records suggest a passing in 1531, others place his death later, in 1548. Regardless of the exact year, his contribution to the tradition of calligraphy and the scholar-artist ideal remains fixed in the historical record.