Artwork
元 盛懋 秋林漁隱圖 團扇|Recluse Fisherman, Autumn Trees
元 盛懋 秋林漁隱圖 團扇|Recluse Fisherman, Autumn Trees is an ink painting by the Yuan dynasty literati painting artist Sheng Mao. It dates from 1349 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A curved silk fan shows a man fishing beneath tall autumn trees as the river bends out of sight and the branches lean in the wind. Sheng Mao painted it in 1349, small and personal where most artists worked on large scrolls, the light ink making the scene feel half-remembered.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the figure of a recluse, visually identifying the subject as a hermit seeking seclusion within nature.
Painted in 1349, this landscape work depicts a solitary man engaged in fishing beneath autumn trees. The composition centers on the figure of a recluse, visually identifying the subject as a hermit seeking seclusion within nature. While the scene presents a literal narrative of fishing, the iconography of a lone fisherman in a seasonal landscape traditionally symbolizes the scholar-official's retreat from public life to pursue spiritual or intellectual solitude.
The specific inclusion of autumn foliage reinforces themes of transition and contemplation associated with the recluse lifestyle. The artwork represents the idealized existence of withdrawal, where the act of fishing serves as a metaphor for philosophical detachment rather than mere subsistence.
Technique & Style
Created in 1349, this landscape painting by Sheng Mao is executed in ink and color on silk. The original support is a fan that has been remounted as an album leaf. The work belongs to the landscape genre and portrays a scene of fishing that includes a man and trees.
The handling of the medium combines monochrome ink with colored pigments on the silk surface to render the composition. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
History & Provenance
The Yuan dynasty painting Recluse Fisherman, Autumn Trees was created in 1349 in China by the painter Sheng Mao as a fan mounted on an album leaf using ink and color on silk. According to the documented record, the piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains. No evidence of a specific commission is recorded; the dating and creation are based on the artist's dated output and the material's traditional format.
Context
The work titled Recluse Fisherman, Autumn Trees is a 1349 fan painted by Sheng Mao, mounted as an album leaf in ink and color on silk, classified as a landscape painting depicting fishing, a man, and trees. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting its significance within the Yuan dynasty painting tradition and the artist's oeuvre. Scholarship situates it as an exemplar of late Yuan literati landscape, illustrating the integration of poetic retreat themes with visual composition.
Overview
Created in 1349 by the Yuan dynasty painter Sheng Mao, Recluse Fisherman, Autumn Trees is a landscape rendered in ink and color on silk, mounted as a fan leaf. The composition centers on a solitary figure fishing beneath a cluster of tall, wind-swept trees that lean dynamically across the frame. A river curves away into the distance, creating a sense of depth and seclusion typical of the literati tradition.
Unlike the monumental handscrolls or hanging scrolls favored by many of his contemporaries, this work utilizes the intimate format of a fan, suggesting a personal, handheld object for private contemplation. Sheng Mao, known for his professional skill and ability to synthesize the styles of earlier masters, employs precise brushwork to define the foliage and the recluse's attire, contrasting with softer washes used for the water and atmospheric background. The date 1349 places this work in the mid-Yuan period, a time when professional painters like Sheng Mao gained prominence alongside scholar-officials.
The piece exemplifies the era's appreciation for reclusion and the harmony between humanity and nature, capturing a fleeting moment of quietude within a stylized autumnal setting.
Artist & collection
