Returning Fisherman

Wang Zhen Chinese

Not on view

The strong, even brushline Wang Zhen learned from Wu Changshi (1844–1927) is evident in this exuberant painting. Wang's poem elaborates on the picture:

The fisherman exchanges his fish for some wine.
He lives east of willow-covered shores
south of the [Yangzi] River.
Returning contentedly before dusk in the setting sun,
Laughing and calling to his children, as he gets tipsy
in the spring breeze.

(Wen Fong, trans., Between Two Cultures: Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century Chinese Paintings from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art [New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001], pp. 72-76)

Returning Fisherman, Wang Zhen (Chinese, 1867–1938), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, China

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.