Landscape
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1917.341
Tags
About this artwork
To 1917
Art Historical Context
This evocative *Landscape*, formerly attributed to the Northern Song dynasty master Mi Fu (1052–1107), dates to the Ming dynasty (8–1644) and captures the timeless essence of Chinese nature painting. Though not by Mi Fu himself—known for his innovative "Mi dots" of layered, misty ink washes—the work echoes his bold, expressive style in depicting a serene river scene amid rolling hills and watery expanses. Such landscapes were more than mere scenery; they symbolized harmony between humanity and the cosmos, a core philosophical ideal in Chinese art. Created during the Ming era, a golden age of ...