From the end of the 1960s to the early 1970s, Zhang Da-qian's landscapes deviated from his usual light palette to a rich tone. This work shows an outstanding structure of landscape, echoing with Ni Zan's composition of a river in between the lands. To stand out from classical paintings, Zhang used splashed ink and layering to depict the majestic landscape through gradation and tone. Broad strokes and meticulous cun strokes jointly create a traditional style of open landscape uplifting the spirits of viewers.
This work uses spatial representation through depth and horizontal distance with limited strokes. Meticulous outlines, ochre, green and ink colours depict light and dark of the landscape. In the foreground, reeds and vegetation were depicted with rich ink, the center is filled with planned spacing representing a gentle river. The background is depicted with a scholar fishing. The landscape descends from afar, while a boat sails across the river, breaking the stillness and the void. With a rich experience in travelling, Zhang had the experience that allowed him to depict a spirit in line with the grandeur of Nature.