Returning to the Village in a Rainstorm

Xie Shichen’s ‘Returning to the Village in a Rainstorm’ is a handscroll painted in 1530. Ink and light color on silk. The scene depicts villagers amidst a rainstorm. Cleveland Museum of Art.

The handscroll format allows a continuous narrative. Viewers experience the scene gradually, unrolling the silk as they proceed. This creates a journey through the landscape.

Xie Shichen’s landscapes were influenced by Guo Xi and Shen Zhou. He was active during the Ming dynasty and hailed from Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.94