Early Spring is a hanging scroll painting by Guo Xi. Completed in 1072, it is one of the most famous works of Chinese art from the Song dynasty. The work demonstrates his innovative techniques for producing multiple perspectives which he called "the angle of totality." The painting is a type of scroll painting which is called a Shan shui. The term "shan shui" (Traditional Chinese: 山氅畫) describes a type of Chinese art in which scenes or natural landscapes are painted using an ink and brush. In literal terms, the name means "mountain-water-picture." In this kind of art, mountains, rivers, and frequently waterfalls are prominent. Around the tenth and eleventh centuries,[1] during the Song Dynasty (宋朝; Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao), shan shui art first gained widespread recognition in China. The poem in the upper right corner was added in 1759 by the Qianlong Emperor. It reads:
Chinese
Pinyin
English
樹纔發葉溪開凍
shù cái fā yè xī kāidòng
The trees are just beginning to sprout leaves; the frozen brook begins to melt.
樓閣仙居最上層
lóugé xiānjū zuì shàngcéng
A building is placed on the highest ground, where the immortals reside.
不藉柳桃閒點綴
bù jiè liǔ táo jiàn diǎnzhuì
There is nothing between the willow and peach trees to clutter up the scene.
春山早見氣如蒸
chūnshān zǎo jiàn qì rú zhēng
Steam-like mist can be seen early in the morning on the springtime mountain.
己卯春月
jǐ mǎo chūnyuè
(Year of) Yin Earth Rabbit (1759)
御題
yùtí
Composed by the royal hand (of the Qianlong Emperor)
