The eminent scholar-painter Wen Zhengming mastered disciplined but unassertive brushwork to create subtly powerful and often poignant compositions. Ascending a steep mountain path, a man with a walking staff is the solitary inhabitant of this landscape; desolate huts and clustered groves of thin trees are his only neighbors. Horizontal strokes accent the densely layered and partially shadowed mountain contours \u2013 an intriguing blend or representational form and surface texture.<\/p>\n
A poetic colophon by Shao Bao (1460-1527) is inscribed after the painting:In the Dao of painting, spring mountains are admired,
But one can sympathize even more with autumn mountains.
High winds overwhelm strong trees,
Heavy rains - one can really see the springs.
Tallow and plum trees are thin,
Maple groves and apricot [trees] fade and groan.
Yet when winter follows this,
The pine and cypress are just as before."
(translation by Stephen Little)<\/q><\/p>\n","short_description":null,"dimensions":"32 \u00d7 489 cm (12 9\/16 \u00d7 192 1\/2 in.)","dimensions_detail":[{"depth":null,"width":489,"height":32,"diameter":null,"clarification":null}],"medium_display":"Handscroll; ink on gold-flecked paper","inscriptions":"Exterior Label (\u7389\u6c60) by Luo Zhenyu \u7f85\u632f\u7389. \n\nFrontispiece (\u5f15\u9996) by Xu Lin \u5f90\u9716 \uff1aAutumn Mountains (\u79cb\u5c71), Signature\uff1a\u4ac7\u4ed9. Seals: \u5f90\u6c0f\u5b50\u4ec1\uff0c\u9e93\u96f2\u6a13\u66f8\u756b\u8a18\uff0c\u84c9\u5cf0\u4e4b\u5370\uff0c\u5289\u6c0f\u5bd2\u78a7\u838a\u5370. \n\nInscription on Painting: \u79cb\u5c71\u5716\u70ba\u5b50\u4ef0\u4f5c, \u5fb5\u660e. Seals:\u6587\u5fb5\u660e\u5370\uff0c\u505c\u96f2\u751f. Collectors' Seals: \u84c9\u5cf0\u9451\u8cde, \u25a1\u25a1\u9451\u5b9a, \u5434\u9091\u5218\u6055\u5ba1\u5b9a, \u25a1\u25a1\u25a1\u25a1, \u5289\u6c0f\u5bd2\u78a7\u838a\u5370\uff0c\u60d5\u5eb5\u6240\u5f97\u540d\u8e5f\uff0c\u84c9\u5cf0\u5be9\u5b9a\uff0c\u5ef7\u4fde\u73cd\u85cf\uff0c\u738b\u9042\u83f4\u66fe\u89c0, \u5411\u53d4\u5e73\u751f\u9577\u7269\uff0c\u4f55\u9577\u5e9a\u9451\u8cde\u66f8\u756b\u4e4b\u7ae0","credit_line":"Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Fund","catalogue_display":null,"publication_history":"Jason C. Kuo, Word as Image: The Art of Chinese Seal Engraving [Exh. Cat.] (New York: China Institute, 1992), pl. 5, no. 54.\nLouise Yuhas, \u201cLu Chih and the Literati Tradition: Paintings in the Style of Ni Tsan.\u201d Ars Orientalis, vol. 13 (1982), p. 32-33, fig.6. \nRichard Edwards, The art of Wen Cheng-ming, 1470-1559 [Exh. Cat.] (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1976), no. 14.\nJack Sewell, Ming-Ch\u2019ing Dynasties [Exh. cat.[ (AIC,1964), p. (10) \nAlberto Giugannio, La Pittura cinese. (Rome, 1959), vol. II, p. 327.\nOsvald Sir\u00e9n, Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles. 7 vols. (New York: Ronald Press, 1956-58), vol. VII, Annotated Lists, p. 263.\nJean-Pierre Dubosc, Mostra d\u2019arte cinese: Settimo centenario d Marco Polo, (Exhibition of Chinese art: 700th anniversary of Marco Polo). (Venice, Palazzo Ducale, 1954), no. 808.","exhibition_history":"Kuo, Jason C.. Word as Image: The Art of Chinese Engraving. Exh. Cat. : China House Gallery Chica Institute in America. New York City, 1992, Pl. 5 (No. 54).\nEdwards. Richard. The Art of Wen Cheng-ming(1470-1559). Exh. Cat.:The University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, 1976), cat.XIV.\nMing-Ch\u2019ing Dynasties A.D. 1368-1644, 1644-1912. Exh. Cat. : The Art Institute of Chicago, no pagination.\nDubosc, Jean-Pierre. Mostra d\u2019arte cinese: Sttimo centenario d Marco Polo [Exhibition of Chinese art: 700 anniverary of Mardo Polo]. Exh. Cat.: Palazzo Ducale. Venice, 1954, cat, no. 808.\nThe Art Institute of Chicago : Ming (1368-1644) Ching (1644-1921) dynasties Exhibition 1964","provenance_text":"Liu Shu \u5289\u6055 (1759\u20131816). Wang Zuxi \u738b\u7956\u932b (1858\u20131908). Luo Zhenyu (1866\u20131940).Ching Tsai Loo (C.T. Loo, 1880\u20121957), Paris and New York; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, Jul. 8, 1948.","edition":null,"publishing_verification_level":"Web Cataloged","internal_department_id":8,"fiscal_year":1949,"fiscal_year_deaccession":null,"is_public_domain":true,"is_zoomable":true,"max_zoom_window_size":-1,"copyright_notice":null,"has_multimedia_resources":false,"has_educational_resources":false,"has_advanced_imaging":false,"colorfulness":13.8278,"color":{"h":38,"l":69,"s":19,"percentage":2.235740289489216,"population":3826},"latitude":null,"longitude":null,"latlon":null,"is_on_view":false,"on_loan_display":null,"gallery_title":null,"gallery_id":null,"nomisma_id":null,"artwork_type_title":"Painting","artwork_type_id":1,"department_title":"Arts of Asia","department_id":"PC-7","artist_id":28272,"artist_title":"Wen Zhengming","alt_artist_ids":[],"artist_ids":[28272],"artist_titles":["Wen Zhengming"],"category_ids":["PC-7"],"category_titles":["Arts of Asia"],"term_titles":["paper (fiber product)","handscroll","Chinese (culture or style)","gold","ink","painting","asian art"],"style_id":"TM-4303","style_title":"Chinese (culture or style)","alt_style_ids":[],"style_ids":["TM-4303"],"style_titles":["Chinese (culture or style)"],"classification_id":"TM-468","classification_title":"handscroll","alt_classification_ids":["TM-9","TM-26"],"classification_ids":["TM-468","TM-9","TM-26"],"classification_titles":["handscroll","painting","asian art"],"subject_id":null,"alt_subject_ids":[],"subject_ids":[],"subject_titles":[],"material_id":"TM-2982","alt_material_ids":["TM-2452","TM-2398"],"material_ids":["TM-2982","TM-2452","TM-2398"],"material_titles":["paper (fiber product)","gold","ink"],"technique_id":null,"alt_technique_ids":[],"technique_ids":[],"technique_titles":[],"theme_titles":[],"image_id":"bc3826a5-0fa4-fe79-c883-768cdc4cfe4f","alt_image_ids":["1c34ca7b-963e-ecf4-42d6-77097e5d1e09","b9431409-ba1d-2faf-717b-1358a34c45b5","e7e90823-846c-0bf2-b3ea-00d51141d509","7a805589-a0cd-a851-9719-72c793f49602","890e52f1-9ecd-bc78-6477-a6b33aa7189f","8a6ea5e8-1b11-5730-4e88-4711e55eeee8","147d81f1-11b7-6a14-375e-4f7256eccd6f","7b753702-6e33-3f63-1aac-c2a69a0ba312"],"document_ids":[],"sound_ids":[],"video_ids":[],"text_ids":[],"section_ids":[],"section_titles":[],"site_ids":[],"suggest_autocomplete_all":[{"input":["1948.103"],"contexts":{"groupings":["accession"]}},{"input":["Autumn Mountains \u79cb\u5c71\u5716"],"weight":1132,"contexts":{"groupings":["title"]}}],"source_updated_at":"2026-04-21T10:58:58-05:00","updated_at":"2026-04-21T14:07:53-05:00","timestamp":"2026-09-06T05:52:09-05:00"},"info":{"license_text":"The `description` field in this response is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Generic License (CC-By) and the Terms and Conditions of artic.edu. 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