Woodcutter receiving a drink at a fishing boat

Formerly attributed to Fang Congyi (active 1340-1380) · 17th century

Having laid aside his carrying pole of bundled twigs and sticks, a wood-gatherer stops at a fishing boat moored by the choppy river and accepts a drink from a barefoot fisherwoman wearing a loose, patched robe. A young child leans back on the deck of the roughly roofed boat, casually observing their interaction. While the destitute condition of these ordinary country folk is neither idealized nor obscured, the potential starkness of their poverty is greatly tempered by the simple human warmth and hospitality of the scene.