Thousand Hills Rivalling in Beauty Ten Thousand Streams Competing in Speed
Artist: Wei Zhike (Chinese, active ca. 1620)
Date: 1624
Dimensions:
L: 270 1/2 in.; H: 7 11/16 in.
Medium: Handscroll; colors on paper
Classification: Paintings
Object number: 1954.14
Label Text:Also well-known as a poet, Wei Zhike specialized in scenes of Nanjing and the surrounding countryside along the Yangtze (or Cháng Ziāng) River. This scroll, which presents a meandering journey through rocky hills and farmland, was never intended to be seen all at once. Rather, a seated viewer unrolled it only an arm’s-length section at a time, viewing it from right to left. Looking at handscrolls was therefore an intimate and interactive experience—like looking through a book. Because each section of the scroll was revealed gradually, the act of exploring the painting incorporated a sense of discovery and anticipation.
Not on view
In Collection(s)