Mou Sheng  (thirteenth and fourteenth century)

Yüan dynasty

Original: Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 135.3 x 59 cm.

    The painting shows a sage, dressed in red, seated on a rock and meditating in an autumnal grove, against a background of clouds and mountains.

Mou Sheng , a native of Chia-hsing, Chekiang, was the son of Sheng Hung, also a noted artist. In painting land-scapes, figures, plants and birds, he was first influenced by his contemporary, Ch'en Lin, but later developed a style of his own. He lived in the same town with Wu Chen, another famous painter of the time. Sheng Mou became well-known earlier than Wu, but the latter eventually surpassed him in fame and accomplishment.

The artist's signature and seal appear on the picture.