Clearing after Rain over Streams and Mountains 1662

Wang Hui created this landscape in ink on silk sometime during the Qing Dynasty. Mountains, trees, and water are rendered in monochrome, typical of Chinese landscape painting. But this work goes beyond faithful representation. Wang was part of a group of literati painters who saw themselves as reviving the traditions of earlier masters. The landscapes they produced alluded to the values and sensibilities of a scholarly elite. In Wang Hui's time, this was a politically charged position. The Qing dynasty was led by the Manchus, outsiders who had overthrown the native Ming. So, by looking back to the artistic styles of the past, Wang and his contemporaries were making a statement about cultural identity and continuity. Understanding this requires us to look beyond the surface of the image. Art historians consult a range of sources, from biographical details to political writings, to enrich our appreciation of art. We come to see the work not just as a picture, but as a cultural artifact embedded in history.