Traveling on the River in Snow

Ever seen a painting that meticulously captures the essence of boundary painting?

Guo Zhongshu’s Traveling on the River in Snow does just that. This 11th-century masterpiece, now a precise replica at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, showcases the genre's distinct features. The large horizontal scroll depicts two heavily laden boats being towed along a frozen riverbank, with intricate details of the boat’s structure and the figures onboard. The artist’s careful brushwork creates depth and visual harmony, reflecting the genre's focus on precise, structured perspectives. A fascinating glimpse into the evolving artistry of the Song Dynasty!

Song Dynasty (960-1279) Guo Zhongshu. Silk hanging scroll. Ink brush. 74.1cm*69.2cm. 

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.