Cleveland Museum of Art

Clouds and Waves at the Wu Gorge

Xie Shichen

Date: c. 1547–67
Medium: hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
Culture: China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department: Chinese Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

This dramatic landscape was probably painted after Xie Shichen returned from a journey in 1547 that took him through various provinces of China, including Sichuan Province in southwest China and sailing the Yangzi River. The composition from a high vantage point offers a view deep into the Wu Gorge where rolling waves put a ship in peril. The scale and composition of this landscape, which was inspired by the majestic mountain scenery in Sichuan Province, as well as Xie’s vigorous brushwork, are exceptional. This large painting was likely created for a wealthy or powerful family's grand hall to impress their visitors.

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