On a Mountain Path in SpringWith spare, sketchy strokes, the court painter Ma Yuan (ca. 1190–1225) depicts a scholar on an outing accompanied by his boy servant carrying a lute. The scholar gazes into the mist, his eyes attracted by a bird in flight. The poetic couplet was inscribed by Emperor Ningzong (r. 1194–1124), at whose court Ma Yuan served. It reads: “Brushed by his sleeves, wild flowers dance in the wind. / Fleeing from him, hidden birds cut short their songs.” (National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan/photo © AISA/The Everett Collection)> PICTURING THE PASTANALYZING THE IMAGE: Find the key elements in this picture: the scholar, the servant boy, the bird, the willow tree. Are these elements skillfully conveyed? Are there other elements in the painting that you find hard to read?CONNECTIONS: What do you think is the reason for writing a poetic couplet on this painting? Does it enhance the experience of viewing the painting or detract from it?