Light of dawn on the monastery 1669

Shitao created *Light of dawn on the monastery* with ink on paper, producing a landscape that seems to emerge from the very substance of the mist. The composition pulls you upwards, a vertical thrust from the lower ground towards the monumental peaks. Note how Shitao’s dynamic brushwork models the peaks, giving the solid forms a sense of movement. This isn't just a picture of a landscape, but rather an expression of the Daoist principles of change. Look closely at how the misty voids are as important as the solid mountain forms. These negative spaces suggest an interplay between presence and absence. The poem inscribed at the top mirrors the painting’s sentiments. It reminds us that artistic creation, much like dawn, is a moment of illumination but also a fleeting transformation, a vital interaction between the artist and the world. Shitao invites us to see the landscape not as a static view, but as a process.