Landscape with Scholar Viewing a Waterfall, 1722
Cai Jiaexpand_more
Ink and colors on paperexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2002.94
On View in Gallery 203expand_more
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.
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Details
- Title
- Landscape with Scholar Viewing a Waterfall
- Artist Life
- 1686-after 1756
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2002.94
- Curator Approved
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