For Master Muchun

明朝唐寅繪為慕椿枴畫港箋紙水墨
Here, a gentleman with a loose robe baring a bulging belly stands in profile with a walking stick. The slab bridge behind him at left behind him suggests he has just arrived at his destination—the old trees and large rocks before him. Tang Yin chose the subject because he was dedicating this fan to a senior friend by the last name of Muchun, literally meaning "admiration for the tree."
After being expelled from the court for breaking regulations during the imperial civil examination, Tang Yin spent his life pursuing both spirituality and an artistic lifestyle. He employed loose brushwork to create the figure, while locking the foliage and stones in a firm composition characteristic of his style.
Inscription: Painted for the senior brother Muchun, Tang Yin from Wu.
Artist's biography:
Tang Yin came from a merchant family in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. He was a brilliant student and came in first in the provincial examinations in 1498. The following year he took the imperial examinations in Beijing, but was accused of having offered a bribe to get the exam answers in advance. His career as an official ruined, Tang spent the remainder of his life as a successful professional painter in Suzhou and Nanjing.