Wen Cheng-ming, a native of Soochow, served at one point in the Hanlin Academy. However, he is better known as one of the preeminent masters of painting, calligraphy, and writing. In painting, he studied under Shen Chou (1427-1509) and developed his own style to become known as one of the Four Great Masters of the Ming. This work was painted in 1519 when Wen Cheng-ming was 49. In terms of the style, the rough brushwork here is similar to that of his teacher Shen Chou. The verdant forest and dense foliage establish a setting that is surrounded by precipitous cliffs that tower out of the scroll. Listening to the sound of the water falling, a scholar sits beside a pure, cold stream waiting for his guest to cross the bridge in the lower left. There are no other paths in or out of the scene in this painting, making it truly a realm set apart from the ordinary world. This work bears similarities to Wen Cheng-ming's “Cold Waterfall and Old Trees”, done at the age of 79, but it does not appear as abbreviated.