Wu Zhen: Fishermen in Reclusion at Dongting

Description

       This work was done by Wu Zhen at the age of 61. The composition involves an expanse of water separating a near and distant shore. Two pines appear in the foreground with another tree extending diagonally below. In the distance are rolling hills and a flat landscape as a fisherman’s skiff floats on the water. This work reveals the rolling watery hills of Jiangnan in east-central China. Though the composition is simple, the artist’s signature in the lower left and his inscribed poetry above adds a sense of lyrical elegance typical of scholar painting.