Wild geese descending to sandbar

In the pictureThe upper half is layered mountains rising through mist, and lower down are a broad river, a sandbar, a small boat and pines along the bank. Near and far are distinguished by gradations of ink alone, and a poem in classical Chinese is inscribed at upper right. The silk has yellowed with age.

BackgroundWild Geese Descending to a Sandbar is one of the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang, eight scenes of the Xiao and Xiang region in China's Hunan Province, and from the late Goryeo dynasty on it was the landscape subject Joseon painters loved most. It depicts not a place the painter actually visited but an idealized scenery passed down through poetry and painting. This painting from the late 15th to early 16th century belongs to the lineage of An Gyeon's style, one feature of which is the way distant mountains are dissolved in mist.

Puzzle tipInk landscapes are the hardest category on this site. Assemble the calligraphy pieces at upper right and the dark-ink pieces of the pines and boat at the bottom first, then fill in the mountain pieces following the direction of the ridgelines and the empty misty pieces by checking against the preview. Starting at Normal (about 48 pieces) is recommended.