The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Location History:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
Travelers in Autumn Mountains is an ink on silk album leaf painting by Sheng Mou, a Chinese artist who lived during the Yuan dynasty. It presents a mountain scenery with a waterfall on the left, as well as paths leading through and away from the mountains. On the far right, three figures can be seen travelling across the scene, with one on horseback, one carrying items on a pole, while the one at the front appears to guide the way. In comparison to the mountain that lies next to them, their sizes are rendered. Within the painting, the artist showcases his mastery in different types of brushwork, ranging from the wet and dotted brushwork for the greenery with the dry and rough linework used for the texture of the rocks. While more flowy brushstrokes are used for the waterfall and the mountains in the background. The mountains at the far back are illustrated with light ink washes, which creates a sense of depth and fogginess as the mountains seem like they are fading into the background.
This artwork serves as a display of Sheng Mou’s technical skills as a professional painter. He came from a family of painters, and was taught painting by Chen Lin and Zhao Mengfu, both who are distinguished artists in the history of Chinese painting. With over fifty works attributed to him, Sheng Mou is thought of as one of the most successful artists in the late Yuan dynasty. But despite his great reputation, there is little biographical information about this artist as the details of his life remain a mystery.
“Travelers in Autumn Mountains” by Yuan-era artist Sheng Mou is a beautiful depiction of gorgeous mountainous scenery. In the bottom right corner, we can see the three travellers walking, against the backdrop of a gorgeous mountain. On the left, we see a waterfall, and a path seems to have been carved through the mountain, as seen on the right. Varied brushstrokes are used to depict everything from the jagged edges of the mountain to the soft, flowing water, and the trees with leaves rustling in the wind. The work is extremely pleasing to observe, as the viewer discovers more and more of the scenery, enhancing the overall serenity of the scene, not unsimilar from how it feels to hike.
