明　唐寅　葦渚醉漁圖　軸|Drunken fisherman by a reed bank

Tang Yin

early 16th century · Hanging scroll; ink on paper · Asian Art

The fisherman, symbol of the scholar in retirement, is drunk and fast asleep under the awning of his boat, oblivious to the cares of the world. Tang Yin expands upon the meaning of his painting in the accompanying poem: Punting pole stuck in the reeds, he ties up his skiff; Late at night, the moon climbs to the top of the pole. The old fisherman is dead drunk, call him, he won't wake up, In the morning he rises, frost-prints on the shadow of his raincoat. (Jonathan Chaves, trans., "Some Relationships Between Poetry and Painting in China," Renditions, vol. 6 [1976], p. 90)

Artist

Tang Yin

Date

early 16th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988