Sailboat laden with wine

A tree dominates the foreground of this daringly spare, nearly abstract landscape vignette. In the distance, separated by an expanse of river, a cliff rises on the distant bank, interrupted only by a striking rectangle of blank paper—the solitary sail of a passing boat. Gong Xian’s artistic originality, along with his status as a principled Ming dynasty loyalist, made him the leading figure among Nanjing painters during this period. The colophons above and below the painting include praise for celebrated younger residents and sojourners in the city, including the artists Zha Shibiao and Shitao.