Recluse Fishing by Autumn Trees

Sheng Mao

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sheng Mao's career as a successful professional painter frequently contrasted with that of his reclusive neighbor Wu Zhen (1280–1354). This painting is important because it shows that Sheng was aware of Wu's style and adopted it for his own use. Recalling Wu Zhen's depictions of hermit-fishermen, Sheng Mao shows his angler dressed in the elegant robes of a scholar. Two early Ming artists, Wang Fu and Lin Yong, have expanded upon the theme of the hermit-fisherman in appreciative poems added at the top of the painting.

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