Zhao Mengfu, Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains, 1295
Zhao Mengfu painted Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains from memory. According to his inscription, the pointed-peak represents the distinguished Mount Hua while in the east of it was Mount Que in the rounded form. Faithful representation was not a core pursuit of the literati, or scholar-amateur painters. Rather, the painting conveyed Zhao’s impression of Jinan in recognition of his friend’s nostalgic longing for his ancestral homeland. It shows a modest lifestyle of the villagers and the serenity of the area.
