Yen Su was originally from Chi in Hopei province, but moved to Yang-ts'ui in Honan later. Both his personality and literary works were highly esteemed by ranking officials and the gentry. His manners were elegantly casual. He often lodged his mind in painting and loved to paint landscape and wintry groves.The painting depicts two branches of a slowing stream between which sits a flat bank. Growing along the stream are varieties of pine, peach and plum trees as well as bamboos. In the center building two men sit facing each other by the railing. To the left of the huts a rock cliff rises abruptly to form an unbroken screen across the scene. Behind are two ranges of distant peaks, the farther in lighter ink than the nearer. At the far left a narrow twisting mountain path approaches over a hill topped with trees lightly brushed in. The handling of brush and inkstones creates a peaceful feeling that effectively extends and lasts far and wide. The brushwork falls into the tradition of Li T'ang.