Steep Valleys in the Cloud

The painting was executed with a fine brush, the dotted strokes creating a rhythm. Compositionally, the work focuses on distant and foreground scenery. In the middle distance, an indistinct mountain path crosses a wide expanse, linking the far and the near, a quiet, lovely scene. In the foreground are pine trees, a precipice, and a scholar with his staff, proceeding slowly on his way, calm and serene. Mountains tower in the distance, rising through the clouds, a handful of houses on the slopes. The work vividly portrays the traditional lifestyle of the literati, far removed from worldly affairs.