Man Seated on a Ledge Gazing at Birds

A solitary scholar sits by a cliff, looking into the hazy distance as flights of birds pass by. He rests comfortably, the tranquility of the scene enhanced by the cool colors and by the trees and outcropping that seem to shelter him.

Wáng Yún, a noted professional painter from the prosperous city of Yangzhou, specialized in figures, buildings, and landscapes realistically painted with a fine brush, as well as works in a more orthodox literati style as seen here. He served at the imperial court and often collaborated with the premier court painter Wáng Huī 王翬 (1632–1717), whose work is seen nearby.

INSCRIPTION: MAN SEATED ON A LEDGE GAZING AT BIRDS
丁亥冬月晴畫就
王雲寫
印：「臣雲」
Painted on a clear winter day in the year Dinghai [1707]
By Wang Yun
Seal: Minister Yun