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Fishermen-Hermits in Stream and Mountain, 1300s. Aspiring to free and harmonious living in the natural world was a recurring theme in traditional Chinese landscapes, especially paintings by gentleman-scholars. The fisherman-hermit in this painting symbolizes the ideal of a humble rural life to escape the dusty world. The Confucian principle also demanded that artists have high moral character. To retreat from fame and pursue a simple, bucolic life was always a lofty dream. This painting was originally attributed to artist Zhao Yong, but has been recently reattributed to Wu Zhen.