Floating Mist and Warm Green

Again by Wang Jian, this painting from 1674 is named Floating Mist and Warm Green, a phrase taken from a poem by Ouyang Xiu of the Song dynasty. It describes exactly what you see: mist drifting through mountains and warm, green hills.

Wang Jian follows the composition of Huang Gongwang’s lost work by the same title. But he adds his own touch. The colors are mainly ochre (for earth) and floral blue (for trees and moss). He combines several techniques: outline drawing, boneless washes, and the Mi-family clouds method.

The scene is complex but not crowded. Layers of mountains fade into the distance. Mist wraps around the peaks like silk ribbons. Trees are dense but airy. Every part is carefully painted, yet the whole feels natural and spontaneous.

It is one of his finest works, a masterpiece of Qing landscape painting.