Fisher folk moored under trees

About this artwork

While scenes of everyday family life are rare in Chinese painting, the families of ordinary fishermen are frequently shown both at work and leisure. Generally depicted leading a healthy, carefree existence with the bounty of nature at their feet, fishing families came to symbolize the welfare enjoyed by society under the aegis of an enlightened ruler. Starting in the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), such depictions became a subgenre of their own, known as "the joys of fishermen." In this typic...