Thousand Hills Rivalling in Beauty Ten Thousand Streams Competing in Speed

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Thousand Hills Rivalling in Beauty Ten Thousand Streams Competing in Speed

Artist Wei Zhike (Chinese, active ca. 1620)

Date1624

DimensionsL: 270 1/2 in.; H: 7 11/16 in.

MediumHandscroll; colors on paper

ClassificationPaintings

Object number

1954.14

Not on View

Label TextAlso 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.