Hermit-Fisherman on a Spring River

Lan Ying

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Known as the last major Zhe School professional painter, the Hangzhou artist Lan Ying was sufficiently influenced by late Ming scholar-painting aesthetics to have devoted most of his creative energy to painting in the idioms of the Song and Yuan masters. In this self-titled work, for example, Lan invokes the theme of life in reclusion celebrated in many paintings by Yuan scholar-artists. Unlike the works of the Wu School scholar-painters, however, Lan Ying’s paintings emphasize technical virtuosity and coloristic effects. Lan’s expressive drawing and bold use of color influenced a number of younger painters, including Chen Hongshou (1598–1652).

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