 This piece by Qu Ding is a representational landscape with a realistic style.

Detail; Growing from Right to Left

 There is a lack of ink and detail in the beginning, and as the landscape comes
more into view, the detail and the value shifts from vague and light to a dark,
detailed cliff.
 The fact that the village is farther to the right, in the part of the painting that is
vague and of lighter value conveys the message that humanity, as a whole, has a
vague and uncertain presence on this earth.
 Whereas the mountains, dark and detailed, have a substantial presence on the
earth, and within life.
 The pieces of the landscape that have a deeper value and are drawn heavily with
ink are the pieces that hold the most substantial value within the culture.
 While the mountains fade off into the distance, seemingly forever, the villages
and people are in immediate sight and closest to the us from the perspective the
landscape is drawn from.
 This shows that within the culture, they view humanity in present, immediate
times, and while the mountains are farther off in the distance, the life of the
mountains extend for eternity.
Perspective; Darker shading vs Lighter shading
 Father to the right, the mountains with very light detailing are very distant from
the perspective of the painting, and towards the left side of the painting and
focusing towards to middle the mountains with heavier detail and shading are
closer in perspective.
Negative Space and Focal Point
 The negative space changes the values of the painting as it is seen from right to
left.
 The tall mountains take up the majority of the negative space within the painting.
 This draws the attention inwards to the collection of mountains in the middle of
the piece, towering over all the others.
 Because the mountains gradually become more present in the piece moving
farther to the left, the focal point comes gradually into view as you go from right
to left in the painting.
The contrast; Light and Dark
 The contrast between the light and heavy usage of ink on the handscroll allows for
the landscape to feel deep and unending.
 The simple technique of ink drawings on handscroll mutes the color, and brings
the focus to the detail within the ink.
The significance; Mountains vs People
 The forest and over-growth cover the small and seemly insignificant villages of
people to the extent that they are almost invisible.
 The tall mountains shoot upwards towards the clear, empty sky, raising from the
water breaking through the tangles of trees.
 This gives the mountains the status of immortality, as if to say that the mountains
are never ending, and are the most significant in contrast of the people.
 As a whole, the feeling of insignificance this piece conveys is profound.
  The towering mountains in contrast to the nearly invisible village of people
delivers a message of the astounding difference between the importance people
and the importance of the landscape, and the mountains.
Perspective; Movement and Misting
 The static movement within the piece captures the perspective as if the painting
were a snapshot of summer mountains in china.
 The lack of dark ink around the base of the mountains provides the illusion of
clouds or mist, which allows for the mountains to looks as though they are
defying the barrier of clouds and reaching father into the sky.
 The mist also provides a means of concealing the small yet detailed villages
hidden within the pockets of the mountains and trees.
 The lack of contrast between the color of the scroll and the ink gives the entirety
of the landscape a misty, foggy sensation.
 As if the perspective is of someone coming upon these mountains having just
broken through fog to reveal this landscape.

Poem:
This elegant painting is very old;
The Xuanhe seals [of the Song emperor Huizong, r. 1101–1125] makes it even more precious.
The objects [in the painting] appear full of life,
As if the trees and rocks were drawn from nature.
The lush foliage of the summer mountains is moist;
The sunny gorges hum with increasing waves.
Perching hundreds of feet high, the pavilions appear spacious.
How would it feel to lean on a railing and enjoy this view?
Imperially inscribed in the first lunar month of the wuchen year (1748).[1]

Works Cited
“Attributed to Qu Ding | Summer Mountains | China | Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127) | The
Met.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum, The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39915.

Annotation: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a well-established museum created for the
purpose of encouraging the public to develop their study and knowledge of fine arts, and to
cultivate a positive image in the long-standing community of fine arts. They have been
presenting over 5,000 years of art from around the world since 1870. The Trustees of The
Metropolitan Museum of Art recently reaffirmed their mission statement to: “collect, study,
conserve, and present significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect
people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.” Their article on Qu Ding’s Summer Mountains
provided a complete overview of the painting classification, medium, and dimensions. It also
provided a summary of the artist, history, culture, and inscriptions on the piece. This provides a
well-rounded template for research of the painting, as well as an English translation of the poem
inscribed on the painting, originally written in Chinese.