1300s
(Chinese, c. 1289-c. 1362)
Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk
Image: 87.2 x 42.8 cm (34 5/16 x 16 7/8 in.); Overall: 229 x 59.3 cm (90 3/16 x 23 3/8 in.)
Bequest of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1997.93
Aspiring to free and harmonious living in the natural world was a recurring theme in traditional Chinese landscapes, especially paintings by gentleman-scholars. The fisherman-hermit in this painting symbolizes the ideal of a humble rural life to escape the dusty world. The Confucian principle also demanded that artists have high moral character. To retreat from fame and pursue a simple, bucolic life was always a lofty dream.
This painting was originally attributed to artist Zhao Yong, but has been recently reattributed to Wu Zhen.
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