Meditation in Deep Mountains

In contemplating the relationship between humans and nature, many educated elites were deeply committed to exploring nature in their artworks. Reminding himself of Tao Yuanming’s story, Zou Zhe called himself a “fishing man,” as seen in his signature here. This painting portrays a man gazing pensively into the mist as if from a mountain pavilion. Some pathways fade into a forest and the roof of a cottage, while others lead to a river where a boat is anchored. Scenes depicting idealized environments like this are common in traditional painting throughout Chinese history. Such portrayals symbolize both the veneration of nature and the human journey toward spiritual cultivation.

Zou Zhe belonged to a group of seventeenth-century artists from the Jinling (Nanjing) area in southeastern China. They challenged the court academy of painters by developing their own styles, which they used in correspondence and other personal pursuits. Some of these artists, including Zou Zhe, explored themes related to Tao Yuanming, who evoked for them the spiritual freedom of a noble soul.

Painters have used both monochrome ink and the multicolor “blue-green” style of ink to capture the idyllic secluded paradise described in verse by Tao Yuanming. Artist Zou Zhe rendered this series of works in color; look for his monochrome ink painting on view in this gallery. The six scenes are, from right to left:

Observing the water. Having stepped from their boat anchored below, two educated elites sit in the corridor of a thatched house. Here, the artist concentrates on depicting the vast expanse of water.

Crossing a bridge. The two now cross a bridge toward a village surrounded by pink shrubbery. The water in mid-ground extends as far as the distant mountains.

Settling a zither (qin) under the moon. One of three scholars points at the moon glimmering behind tree branches. A young servant holding a wrapped zither walks along the running stream toward them.

Watching a waterfall. The scene is viewed from a pavilion set high on the cliffs.

Boating along cliffs. A boat carrying three scholars drifts on a stream lined with rocks.

Reaching a village. The boat sails close to a cottage, situated on a spot with a panorama of foliage, a pavilion, cliffs, and waterfalls.