Who painted 明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu?

明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu was painted by Zhong Li in late 15th century.

Where can I see 明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu?

明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu?

明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

Artwork

明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu

Zhong Li , 1489

明鍾禮觀瀑圖軸|Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Zhong Li. It dates from 1489 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu, a scene drawn from his famous poem "Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu.

The painting depicts the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu, a scene drawn from his famous poem "Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu." The composition centers on the traditional Chinese landscape triad of man, mountain, and waterfall. The waterfall serves as the primary symbolic focus, representing the sublime power of nature and the Daoist ideal of harmony between humanity and the natural world.

Li Bai's contemplative stance before the cascade embodies the scholar-poet's pursuit of spiritual transcendence through communion with nature, a central theme in Chinese literati culture. The mountain setting evokes the sacred geography of Mount Lu, long associated with Buddhist and Daoist retreat as well as poetic inspiration. The work thus functions simultaneously as landscape, portrait, and illustration of poetic experience, merging visual and literary arts in the manner characteristic of Ming dynasty scholarly painting.

Technique & Style

The work is executed as a hanging scroll on silk, employing ink with subtle polychrome washes, a format customary for Chinese landscape painting of the late Ming period. The composition follows a vertical format that emphasizes the cascading waterfall and the diminutive figure of Li Bai, rendered in delicate brushstrokes that convey movement and depth. The use of color is restrained, applied selectively to highlight rock formations and foliage, while the ink outlines define the mountain mass and the flowing water.

This combination of support, medium, and stylistic handling reflects the artist’s mastery of traditional techniques while allowing a vivid, atmospheric depiction of the natural scene.

History & Provenance

The hanging scroll titled Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu was painted in 1489 by the Chinese artist Zhong Li. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work depicts a man standing before a mountain waterfall. According to the documented record, the scroll was produced in China and subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings. No earlier owners are recorded, and the piece remains on display in the museum’s Asian art department.

The hanging scroll titled Li Bai Gazing at the Waterfall on Mount Lu, created by Zhong Li in 1489, is held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, executed in ink and color on silk, is classified as a landscape painting depicting a man, mountains, and a waterfall. While the museum holds the piece, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for this entry.

Furthermore, the available documentation offers no details regarding a specific exhibition history, dates of public display, or loan records for this particular artwork.

Overview

This painting, titled Li Bai gazing at the waterfall on Mount Lu, was created by Zhong Li in 1489. Rendered with ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll, the work presents a dramatic mountain landscape. It features a lone figure contemplating a powerful waterfall, a scene that invites reflection on both the natural world and human experience.