River Hamlet

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A rustic dwelling sits by a broad expanse of river. Having just moored his boat at the water’s edge, a weary fisherman makes his way up the slope to his humble thatch-roofed home. To depict the freshly fallen snow that blankets the riverbank, the painter has left rocks and earth unpainted and filled in the sky and water with light washes of ink, an inversion of typical ink-painting practice. The scene is still and tranquil—an encapsulation of the river’s role in Chinese art as a symbol of the good, simple life.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art