Waves in the moonlight
Not on view
This composition calls to mind paintings of the tidal bore, an annual event where exceptionally high tides push into the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, resulting in a powerful tidal wave that runs up the course of the river. When the imperial capital was moved to Hangzhou during the Southern Song dynasty, the tidal bore became a subject for court painters, and this painting was likely created in that milieu. Most paintings of this type include at least a patch of shore for context, but the unidentified painter of this fan places us in the river itself, with only the moon to provide a sense of direction.
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