Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei

Poem and painting, once mounted together as one fan, exemplify the collaboration between imperial patron and court painter. Emperor Lizong’s calligraphy cites a verse from Wang Wei’s (701–761) poem, Walking to where the water ends, I sit and watch when clouds arise.

Ma Lin’s response is this painting. At the water’s edge, a scholar reclines by a large rock. The view leads across the empty middle ground to a distant mountain. With sparse ink and subtly graded washes, Ma Lin visualizes the poetic verse. The painting suggests the impact of Chan aesthetics through interaction between the palace, literati-officials, and monasteries around Hangzhou.

Two circular fan paintings with ink on silk feature a tan ground. The left panel depicts a reclining figure on a rocky hill covered with brushy, black dabs, gazing toward a faint, distant peak. The right panel contains two vertical columns of calligraphy. Sparse black ink marks the scene and text, while red seals are stamped in the margin and within both compositions. The minimalist composition uses open space to suggest a misty atmosphere.

Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei

c. 1256

Ma Lin

(Chinese, c. 1185–after 1260)

China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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