China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911) / 1658
Dream Journey among Rivers and Mountains, no. 90
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Dream Journey among Rivers and Mountains, no. 90 as painting (China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911) · 1658).
Cheng Zhengkui planned to make 100 dream journey paintings but may have ultimately made 500.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Handscroll; ink and color on paper and credits Cheng Zhengkui (Chinese, 1604–1676).
The museum's collection notes: Cliffs and waterfalls interspersed with trees and dotted vegetation are spread over this handscroll. Long paths wind their way through villages, beside cottages, shrines, and over bridges. In the past, Chinese literati officials liked to take a “dream journey” along mountains and rivers when viewing landscape paintings in their studios. Scenery of this kind thus became a way to escape from the world of bureaucracy and administration. The painter Cheng Zhengkui used the title “Dream Journey” for a whole series of paintings, of which this is number 90. He is said to have painted 500 of them, but the actual count remains unknown.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtDream Journey among Rivers and Mountains, no. 90Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.