Mountains after Rain 1695

Wang Hui created this ink and colour on paper fan painting titled *Mountains after Rain*. Observe how the artist employs a monochromatic palette, punctuated by the faintest hint of blues to evoke a misty atmosphere. The composition leads our eyes upward, from the dense foothills to the towering peaks, creating a sense of depth and scale. Wang Hui’s strategic use of empty space is as significant as the brushstrokes themselves. The void functions almost as a semiotic marker, suggesting a Confucian ideal of harmony between humanity and nature. This is not a mere landscape but a carefully constructed tableau, reflecting the artist's philosophical engagement with the natural world and its cultural interpretation. The artwork destabilizes conventional landscape painting. By presenting a scene that is both specific and universal, Wang Hui challenges fixed meanings and invites an ongoing dialogue between the viewer and the artwork, thus opening up a space for continuous reinterpretation.