River Landscape: fishermen in boats
15th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1919.138
Tags
About this artwork
To 1919
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection *River Landscape: Fishermen in Boats* captures the serene beauty of a 15th-century Chinese river from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). This painting exemplifies the golden age of Chinese landscape art, where artists masterfully evoked the harmony between humanity and nature. Fishermen gliding in boats amid flowing waters and misty horizons reflect the shan shui ("mountain and water") tradition, blending poetic realism with philosophical depth drawn from Daoist ideals of tranquility and impermanence. Though the artist and medium remain u...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...