1450
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Travellers Among Mountains is a 1450 paint by Shen Zhou, a Ming Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A man rides a horse up a steep mountain path. His two helpers walk behind. The scene is small—just 10 inches wide—but feels huge. Zhou Chen painted this on gold-speckled paper meant for a folding fan. That was new at the time. His brushstrokes are loose and bold, not his usual tight style. Look close: his signature hides near the bottom right. This shows how artists adapted to fresh formats. Try pairing it with works by Shen Zhou, who also painted on fans.
This painting by Zhou Chen, originally executed on gold-sprinkled paper as a folding fan, was later remounted as an album leaf. Rendered in pure ink, it portrays a traveler on horseback with attendants navigating a steep mountain path using bold, simplified brushstrokes. The artist’s signature and seal appear nearly concealed on the far right, while two collector’s seals in the lower left indicate prior ownership by someone with the literary name Shiduan.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Shen Zhou spent his life in the Suzhou region of China, where his family’s money and connections mattered more than art—until it did.
See the richer artist page
