宋人作畫十分注重情境?氣氛的營造。此幅以山?池為骨幹﹐其間置以房屋?柳樹?雜林。池中荷花正盛﹐予人安靜恬適之感﹐然點點鴨鳧?喜鵲及鷺鷥﹐卻添得幾分生意。荷塘上一棹自葦叢歸﹐船篷中懸酒葫﹐士人閒倚﹐加上柳樹池莊﹐大有淵明歸隱之意。高居翰在其《中國古畫索引》中認為此幅是一件非常好的南宋作品(註1)。從構圖而言﹐高遠俯視全局﹐佈局合理﹐景物寫實﹐此種近乎定點視法﹐是南宋較常用的取景觀念﹐而點景人物中高士?童僕之結體自然﹐意態?表情皆傳神﹐加上其比例皆較北宋更為修長﹐應是山水人物畫長足發展後的作品。在用筆方面﹐細膩而寫實﹐如以汁綠畫柳﹐筆墨嚴謹﹐造型十分寫實﹐這種含蓄溫柔的筆調﹐與南宋那種較圓熟?硬挺?轉折?多波磔的筆觸﹐有所不同﹐亦無南宋那種靈巧?純熟而甜膩的習氣﹐應為南宋前期作品﹐尤其與著錄記載的北宋宗室趙令穰(活動於1070-1100)的平林水﹐汀渚水鳥之題材﹐或與趙士雷(11世紀)之溪塘汀渚風格相似。這類作品在北宋間應已風行﹐此幅即便不是他們的作品﹐亦是臨摹其風格之佳作。(童文娥)註1:參見James Cahill, An Index of Early Chinese Painters and Paintings(Berkeley, Los Angeles & London: University of California Press, 1980)﹐p.209.
Beneath the thick shade of willow trees lies a small villa at the edge of a pond dotted with lotuses. The pavilion on the water is presently unoccupied, but from the thicket emerges a boater just now returning home. Beneath the boat's awning one can see suspended a gourd of wine. Even the birds of this scene--wild ducks, egrets, and a flock of magpies--are all meticulously rendered in minute detail.The mountains and pond form the essential framework of this painting's composition, within which the artist has arranged the cottages and clusters of trees, thus creating a natural garden pervaded with the calar atmosphere of a mountain forest.