Chinese Literatus Viewing a Valleypossibly mid- to late 1500s–1600s · Study 2015.593

Context from the museum

This painting depicts a well-recognized scene in East Asian painting most often associated with the Chinese Southern Song dynasty painter Ma Yuan: a figure, most likely a retired government official, contemplating a high mountain valley from a scenic overlook. The lower left corner of the painting has a tripod-shaped seal resembling that of Kano Hideyori. The work appears to have either been made or repurposed to hang as a pair with a painting by Hideyori.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting measurement for Chinese Literatus Viewing a Valley is 33.1 cm wide and 49.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 13.0 × 19.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.67:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.16 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 11.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 133.4 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Chinese Literatus Viewing a Valley in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 33.1 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?