Shi Tao (1642–1707) (the Bitter Melon Monk, a towering figure among the Four Early Qing Buddhist Monks), painted this magnum opus in his late maturity, after his return to Yangzhou from Beijing (c. late 1690s). It is a hanging scroll, ink and light mineral color on paper, measuring 176 cm × 90 cm, a private collection work sold at major auctions (notable sale at Kuangshi Auction in 2016, final price RMB 46.575 million). The upper section bears his forceful running‑script colophon with a self‑composed poem, plus iconic seals: “Old Man of Qing Xiang”, “My Own Method (Wo Fa)”, and the pivotal “searching all wonderful peaks to make sketches”—a direct repudiation of the rigid academicism of the Four Wangs school.
The composition breaks all formulaic vertical landscape rules. From the lower right, gnarled ancient pines with twisted trunks and sharp needles surge upward, rendered with aggressive dry‑brush texturing (ganbi cun fa) and clusters of dense ink moss dots (dian tai). A simple pavilion perches by the water; a scholar sits alone inside, gazing at the still, reflective stream (suggested by masterful white‑space liubai rather than explicit brush lines). Mid‑ground cliffs transition into misty valleys via pale, wet‑ink washes, while distant peaks fade into ethereal, hazy tones of light ochre and indigo. Shi Tao’s color application is subtle and integrated into the ink layers—never overpowering. The contrast between the dense, dark foreground trees/rocks and the sparse, pale background creates dramatic depth, capturing the quiet desolation and grandeur of late autumn rather than a mere copy of nature. The title’s melancholy undertone (a classical metaphor for fallen dynasties) is balanced by the serene scholar figure, reflecting the artist’s own spiritual resolution.
This late‑career work crystallizes Shi Tao’s lifelong artistic philosophy and technical mastery. It embodies “My Own Method” and the practice of painting from direct observation of nature, not from copying ancient masters. As a Ming imperial descendant in Qing times, the painting is also a profound personal statement: the “remaining waters and fragmented mountains” are not just landscape motifs, but a metaphor for his lost homeland and his unyielding commitment to artistic freedom amid political upheaval. The seamless unity of poetry, calligraphy, and painting (the Three Perfections) elevates it beyond a landscape work—it is a manifesto of individual creativity, making it one of the most iconic late works of Shi Tao and a cornerstone of early Qing innovative literati painting.