Cleveland Museum of Art

Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei

Ma Lin

Date

c. 1256

Medium

Album leaf; ink on silk

Culture

China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Poem and painting, once mounted together as one fan, exemplify the collaboration between imperial patron and court painter. Emperor Lizong’s calligraphy cites a verse from Wang Wei’s (701–761) poem, Walking to where the water ends, I sit and watch when clouds arise . Ma Lin’s response is this painting. At the water’s edge, a scholar reclines by a large rock. The view leads across the empty middle ground to a distant mountain. With sparse ink and subtly graded washes, Ma Lin visualizes the poetic verse. The painting suggests the impact of Chan aesthetics through interaction between the palace, literati-officials, and monasteries around Hangzhou. Ma Lin was the son of Ma Yuan, the artist renowned for his unique composition and often referred to as "One-corner Ma."

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