Solitary angler on the wintery river by Ma Yuan, Southern Song Dynasty

[Photo/ilf.cn]

Completed in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279AD), this painting was originally stored in the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) and now is at the Tokyo National Museum.

A fisherman in a small boat and a broad margin of the river make up the whole painting, which measures 26.8cm wide and 50.3cm long. A fishing rod in hand, he leans forwards and looks at the surface attentively, and it seems like a fish is biting the bait. The stern of the boat goes upwards slightly because the fisherman sits at the other end. Apart from the ripples around the boat, there is nothing but a broad margin left in the picture, depicting the wideness of the river and highlighting the solitude. The bleak and chilly atmosphere provides broader space for readers to imagine.