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Shūzanzu
An Autumn Mountain
by Akutagawa Ryūnosuké
“And speaking of Ta Ch’ih, have you ever seen his Painting of an Autumn Mountain?”
One evening, Wang Shih-ku, who was visiting his friend Yün Nan-t’ien, asked this question.
“No, I have never seen it. And you?”
Ta Ch’ih, together with Mei-tao-jen and Huang-hao-shan-ch’iao, had been one of the great painters of the Mongol Dynasty. As Yün Nan-t’ien replied, there passed before his eyes images of the artist’s famous works, the Painting of Sandy Shore and the Picture-Scroll of a Joyful Spring.
“Well, strange to say,” said Wang Shih-ku, “I’m really not sure whether or not I have seen it. In fact…”
“You don’t know whether you have seen it or you haven’t?” said Yün Nan-t’ien, looking curiously at his guest. “Do you mean that you’ve seen an imitation?”
“No, not an imitation. I saw the original. And it is not I alone who have seen it. The great critics Yen-k’o and Lien-chou both became involved with the Autumn Mountain.” Wang Shih-ku sipped his tea and smiled thoughtfully. “Would it bore you to hear about it?”
“Quite the contrary,” said Yün Nan-
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