Drinking in the Moonlight

In the lower left corner, a figure leans back to gaze at the moon appearing between mountain peaks in the upper right. On the rocky deserted platform beneath a cliff, a piece of paper with calligraphy is spread out. A brush and ink stick rest on a stand, ink stone and water dropper placed aside.

Asymmetrical compositions are characteristic of the court artist Ma Yuan and his followers. The diagonal division into solid land mass and open space gave rise to his nickname “One-corner Ma.”