Mountains and rivers stretch endlessly, their boundless spirit merging with the vast breath of the universe, beyond all measure or horizon. To wander among them is to journey alongside the creative forces of nature, where beginning and end dissolve into infinity. Yet when one stands alone before the immeasurable expanse of heaven and earth, an inescapable sense of solitude quietly arises.

“Before me, I see none of the ancients;

 Behind me, none of those yet to come.

 Contemplating the boundless heavens and earth,

 I am overcome with sorrow, and tears fall alone.”

—Chen Zi'ang, Tang Dynasty poet

From Inspirations of the Land: The Oil Paintings of Liu Jiutong