Scholar in Landscape

A thatched hut is depicted in the mountains near the middle of the painting, exposed among the trees, while a waterfall cascades before it. This is the home of a hermit, but the only figure we can see within the hut is his servant. There is a table and books in the study, but it is otherwise empty. He is probably out in the mountains somewhere, spending time in nature or gathering herbs, a popular pastime within the spirit of eremitism. Meanwhile, a lone scholar crosses the bridge near the bottom of the painting, on his way to visit the hermit only to find the recluse not at home.