Viewing Plum Blossoms by Moonlight Ma Yuan (active ca. 1190–1225) Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on silk; 9 7/8 x 10 1/2 in. (25.1 x 26.7 cm) Gift of John M. Crawford Jr., in honor of Alfreda Murck, 1986 (1986.493.2) Why did the artist choose this shape for this painting? Related Activity This type of fan would often have a poem on one side and a related painting on the other side. Two examples of poems on fans are Quatrain on Late Spring and Couplet on Pond Scenery. After looking closely at this fan painting, Viewing Plum Blossoms by Moonlight, try to write a poem that you think could appear on the other side of this fan. Back Menu