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Lone fisherman on a boat

Mao Qiling Chinese

late 17th–early 18th century

Not on view

The figure of the solitary boatman angling on a river was one of the most potent symbols of reclusion in premodern China. Beneath towering trees and backed by misty mountains, the gentleman relinquishes the cares of the dusty world and becomes one with the river and its ceaseless flow. Painted in broad, wet washes by Mao Qiling, a prominent scholar of the early Qing period (1662–1722), this image captures the theme of the fisherman-hermit and the joys of the river.

Lone fisherman on a boat, Mao Qiling (Chinese, 1623–1716), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Lone fisherman on a boat, Mao Qiling (Chinese, 1623–1716), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China

Lone fisherman on a boat, Mao Qiling (Chinese, 1623–1716), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China

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

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

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

清毛奇齡松陵漁隱圖軸

Title: Lone fisherman on a boat

Artist: Mao Qiling (Chinese, 1623–1716)

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: late 17th–early 18th century

Culture: China

Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Dimensions: Image: 25 × 14 in. (63.5 × 35.6 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Promised Gift of Julia and John Curtis, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary

Object Number: L.2020.10.11

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.