This handscroll depicts a magnificent natural vista of mountains and waters and people’s lives within it. Yi Inmun (1745–1821), the author of this work, was one of the prominent figures in eighteenth-century painting circles (during the late Joseon period), along with his fellow court painter Kim Hongdo (1745–1806?).
The superb view of a grand expanse of nature begins with low hills and mountains in the right of the painting, progresses to a riverfront crowded with people, and reaches rugged mountains, cliffs, and oddly shaped rocks. It ends with the still surface of waters and distant scenery. Diverse natural elements are illustrated in a harmonious manner using dynamic brushstrokes and varied tones of ink. Several textural techniques are applied as well. The balanced combination of calm waters and sheer mountains and cliffs recalls both the grand cycles of nature and the vicissitudes of human life. This painting appears to be a visual representation of a Joseon-era Korean ideal rather than any actual place.