Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu
In 1366, Ni Zan abandoned his home to escape marauding soldiers. Even after the establishment of the Ming dynasty in 1368, Ni continued the life of a wanderer, visiting old haunts that he had not seen for twenty or thirty years. According to his epitaph writer, Zhou Nanlao (1308–1383), "in his late years, he became quieter and more withdrawn than ever. Having lost or given away everything he ever owned, he did his best to forget his worries. Wearing a yellow [Daoist] cap and country clothes, he roamed the lakes and mountains, leading a recluse's life."
Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu, executed two years before Ni Zan's death, expresses the painter's contentment in the life of a recluse. The poem ends with the lines:
We watch the clouds and daub with our brushes
We drink wine and write poems.
The joyous feelings of this day
Will linger long after we have parted.
The dry but tender brushwork is aloof and restrained. There is a tranquil luminous quality about the painting that makes it one of the most fully realized works of the artist's later years.
Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu, executed two years before Ni Zan's death, expresses the painter's contentment in the life of a recluse. The poem ends with the lines:
We watch the clouds and daub with our brushes
We drink wine and write poems.
The joyous feelings of this day
Will linger long after we have parted.
The dry but tender brushwork is aloof and restrained. There is a tranquil luminous quality about the painting that makes it one of the most fully realized works of the artist's later years.
Artwork Details
- 元 倪瓚 虞山林壑圖 軸
- Title: Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu
- Artist: Ni Zan (Chinese, 1306–1374)
- Period: Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
- Date: dated 1372
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 37 1/4 x 14 1/8 in. (94.6 x 35.9 cm)
Overall with mounting: 82 x 20 5/8 in. (208.3 x 52.4 cm)
Overall with knobs: 82 x 24 5/8 in. (208.3 x 62.5 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973
- Object Number: 1973.120.8
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ni Zan
1363
Ni Zan
dated 1339
China
ca. 1319
Unidentified artist
mid-12th century
Qian Xuan
ca. 1295
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Showing 4 of 8
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.