Landscape with Scholar Viewing a Waterfall, 1722 (ink & colour on paper)

Barely perceptible in the rocky foreground, a scholar sits meditatively transfixed by a rushing waterfall. High above the twisted knot of contorted trees sheltering him, great vertical shafts of rock pierce layers of clouds to reach unimaginable heights. Every aspect in this composition is painted in meticulous detail; look closely to see how the artist used different strokes to create texture, delineate forms, or add color. This scene represents one of the most popular subjects in Chinese painting, the so-called watching-waterfall theme. The persistence of such imagery is easily explained by its underlying philosophies. Both Confucianism and Daoism draw an analogy between the natural qualities of water and the moral qualities of the perfect gentlemen—endurance, stability, sharpness of mind, and flexibility to adapt in the best way to a changing environment. The artist inscriptions on the painting place him clearly in the orthodox tradition of the Four Wangs and the form and techniques of much of his work derives from Wang Hui (1632-1717) although it is a mildly eccentric composition. Dimensions: 287.2 x 104.3 cm (image) 371.5 x 129.5 cm (without roller)