Returning Home through the Snow is an ink and colour on silk hanging scroll painting by Chinese artist Dai Jin, created circa 1455. It depicts a solitary figure braving through the cold, trying to return home. The cold is harsh – a layer of snow covers the trees, and a gust of strong wind can be seen sweeping on the man’s clothes. Wearing only a thin layer, the man covers his face with a sleeve as he huddles to himself, signalling how his journey home is not going to be an easy one.
The artist of this work, Dai Jin, is a prominent landscape painter from the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). He founded the Zhe School of painting, with “Zhe” coming from the first character of Dai’s home province of Zhejiang. Influenced by Dai Jin’s own art style, the Zhe School of painting uses styles derived from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), and is known for soft colour palettes and meticulous brushwork. In contrast to their contemporaries, the Wu School, works of Zhe School painting are often more decorative rather than expressive, emphasising harmonious composition, a restrained approach, and art that complemented their surroundings. Such art ideals can be found in Dai’s Returning Home through the Snow. From the snow-covered tree branches to the man’s billowing clothes, Dai’s brushwork is meticulous and detailed. Every line seems to be calculated and planned rather than spontaneous and expressive. In addition, the balance between content and negative space in Dai’s painting is quite visually appealing, resonating with the philosophy of Zhe School painting.
Dai Jin’s Returning Home through the Snow (ca. 1455) serves as a definitive monument of the Ming Dynasty’s Zhe School, beautifully reviving the academic naturalism of the Song tradition. By eschewing the highly expressive, literary approach of the contemporary Wu School, Dai prioritizes decorative restraint and harmony. The scroll anchors a solitary traveler huddling against a biting, visual wind within a meticulously detailed, snow-laden landscape.
