Drunken fisherman by a reed bank

Tang Yin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fisherman, symbol of the scholar in retirement, is drunk and fast asleep under the awning of his boat, oblivious to the cares of the world. Tang Yin expands upon the meaning of his painting in the accompanying poem: Punting pole stuck in the reeds, he ties up his skiff; Late at night, the moon climbs to the top of the pole. The old fisherman is dead drunk, call him, he won't wake up, In the morning he rises, frost-prints on the shadow of his raincoat. (Jonathan Chaves, trans., "Some Relationships Between Poetry and Painting in China," Renditions, vol. 6 [1976], p. 90)

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