Looking closely: Clearing after Rain over Streams and Mountains

Start with what you see

Move slowly across this work. Notice the relationship between dense passages and quieter areas, and between a detail and the whole. A change of scale can change the way an image is read.

The work and its record

The Metropolitan Museum of Art identifies the artist as Wang Hui and dates the work 1662. Its recorded medium is Hanging scroll; ink on paper. The linked collection record is our source for these details.

Our invitation is simple: compare your first impression with what you notice after a few minutes. The catalogue provides a point of reference; looking remains an open-ended encounter.