Landscape with figure 1635

Chen Jichun created this landscape with figure painted on silk, sometime between 1633 and 1667. The fan's surface curves along an arc, and the composition respects this constraint. Notice how the forms of the trees and mountains rise and fall in a rhythm that echoes the shape. The painting's structure emphasizes balance and containment. The house, the focal point, is nestled in the centre, framed by the trees on either side, and a lone figure sits calmly within. The artist creates depth through the layering of forms, from the foreground vegetation to the distant mountains. The subdued colour palette of monochrome ink with sparse use of red lends a sense of meditative calm, a theme reinforced by the figure's central position in the tranquil setting. Through the work’s composition, Chen invites us to reflect on humanity's place within the natural world.