Summer Mountains, Misty Rain

This painting played a pivotal role in the career of Wang Hui, one of the most famous and influential painters of the late 1600s and early 1700s. It was painted early in Wang's career for one of the most influential art patrons of his time. While in his short inscription Wang feigned indifference, it is obvious he was aware of the possible importance of this painting, which has since been recognized as the major masterpiece of his early career.

It is difficult to comprehend the amount of work and skill that went into creating this long handscroll (you are seeing only a short section here). It begins with a densely painted mountain passage whose execution required almost every skill in the painters' repertoire, and goes on through alternating sections of open waterways and mountains. Not only was the painting masterfully composed, but also the combination of brush strokes and ink was deftly handled. Try counting the number of different types of brush strokes and ink applications in this section. All are combined to capture the essence of a misty summer day in an idealized landscape.