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)
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.