“Lonely Fishing on a Wintry River,” the theme of this painting, became popular due to a poem by LiuZongyuan (773–819) from the Tang Dynasty. The scene of a man fishing alone on a river in a cold and snowy winter creates a poetic atmosphere, which represents a gentleman living in seclusion. The theme started in the Song Dynasty. As paintings on the topic of literati living in seclusion gained popularity during the Yuan Dynasty, those on the theme of “Lonely Fishing on a Wintry River” were widely produced until the Ming Dynasty.
This painting is composed of three tiers: the foreground, middle ground, and background. In the center of the foreground is a figure fishing alone. The rocks and trees are illustrated in solid manner and the figure drawn in vivid features. The bamboo and plum blossoms in full bloom by the river seem to represent a noble character of a gentleman in seclusion. The upper-left portion of the painting bears a poem composed by Wang Fengyuan. Wang is celebrated for his calligraphy, but this work demonstrates that he was skilled at painting as well.