Travelers on a Mountain
Path
Fan K'uan (ca.  early 11th
century)
Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-
1279)
Ink on silk. Hanging scroll. 
206.3 x 103.3cm.
     Fan K'uan was a native 
of Shansi. In landscapes he 
first followed Li Ch'eng,
then Ching Hao, and finally 
established his own style.
        A  massive  peak 
dominates the composition.
A monastery nestles in the
recesses of a  cliff,  half
hidden by the dense growth
of trees.  A wooden bridge 
hovers  sturdily  over  a
rushing torrent, while  a
group of travelers emerges
inconspicuously  from  the 
woods.   Throughout  the 
painting jagged brushwork 
resembling a knife scraping
on iron has been employed,
giving the work a pungent,
fullbodied weightiness.
This monument is certainly
the most priceless extant
work of this master.