Xu Daoning, Chinese (970–1052). Fishermen’s Evening Song, ca. 1039–1052. Handscroll ink and slight color on silk, 19 1/4 x 88 1/2 inches. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 33-1559.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Gallery 222
March 21 to September 27, 2026
Ling-en Lu, Curator of Chinese Art
Magnificent mountains and rivers are fountainheads for artistic imagination in many cultures. In Chinese art, the vital role of shanshui (mountain and water, “landscape”) receives much inspiration from Daoism and other religious traditions, nourished by the deep connections between spiritual practice and the natural world in China. This everlasting tradition launched a golden age in the Song dynasty (960-1279 C.E.), from which the Nelson-Atkins museum holds a deep collection of paintings, displayed every decade or so for the care of these precious artworks. Legendary Landscapes demonstrate how Song paintings embody the deep interrelationships among humans, the natural world, and the greater cosmos. These interrelationships are channeled through the depictions of people like travelers and fishermen who invite us to see nature through their eyes. Underscoring the immense landscapes, they are humbled in scales to acknowledge humans’ small position in nature and the universe.
A Solitary Temple Amid Clearing Peaks, Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 C.E.). Hanging scroll; ink and slight color on silk, 88 x 22 1/2 inches. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 47-71.
A Solitary Temple Amid Clearing Peaks, attributed to either Li Cheng (919–967 C.E.) or a court painter, exemplifies a microcosm of the universe through integrating various vistas and soundscapes from different perspectives. A worldview in ancient China comprising of heaven, earth, and water is translated here in the visual language of ink brushwork. Hereupon, lofty mountains not only connect heaven and earth but are also the sources of generating clouds and water.
Despite its panoramic scene, every detail in this painting spurs visual excitement. A traveler, who may be a pilgrim or the artist himself, enters from the lower left to lead the viewer up to a Buddhist temple atop the wintry hill. The temple’s pagoda, a multistoried tower that houses religious relics, stands with its spire pointing to the peak and sky. Its dominance of the scene signifies great spiritual power.
Xu Daoning (970–1052 C.E.) painted Fishermen’s Evening Song with exquisite ink tones. Light and dark ink washes cast autumn twilight on the sheer cliffs, sending the distant rivers and hills into mist. Xu included fishermen to convey his vision of the natural world. In Chinese art and literature, they often appear as hermits who embody the virtue of sincerity. In this painting, fishermen are seen toasting each other in celebration of their catch, affirming this riverscape as an enjoyable, peaceful world.
The completeness of the majestic landscapes with the contended travelers and fishermen would be understood by imperial collectors to connote an image of an enlightened and benevolent country. Although the dynasty is long gone, the sublime visions the artists presented in the paintings triumph over time and space.
