Portrait of Dai Jin

Dai Jin Paintings: The 8 Most Famous, Through a Gallery's Eye

Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 8 works by Dai Jin in our catalogue

In short

To the gallery's eye, Dai Jin's most famous painting is The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream (1431), whose original hangs in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi (1449) and The Night Excursion of Zhong Kui (1450) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 8 works by Dai Jin in our catalog, the gallery presents the 8 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.

1388 – 1462, Hangzhou Most works: Cleveland Museum of Art

The gallery's top 10 Dai Jin paintings

1
The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream (1431) by Dai Jin

The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream

1431 · Ink · Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland

Executed in 1431, The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream is a classical Chinese landscape painting presented on a vertical hanging scroll of silk. The work utilizes a monochrome ink wash style, employing varying shades of black and grey ink against the natural tan and brown tones of the aged silk substrate. The composition follows an asymmetrical arrangement, utilizing a shifting perspective to create a sense of vastness through…

2
Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi (1449) by Dai Jin

Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi

1449 · Ink · Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

In Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi, the artist Dai Jin captures a moment of stillness within a vertically oriented landscape. A high-angle perspective looks down upon the scene, allowing the towering presence of ancient trees to dominate the upper reaches of the composition. These trees rise through a monochromatic and muted palette of ink washes on a tan substrate, creating a sense of misty depth and antiquity. The organic,…

4
Returning home through the snow (1455) by Dai Jin

Returning home through the snow

1455 · Ink On Paper · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

A single figure moves through a landscape defined by snow and bare vegetation. The individual is dressed in simple, humble clothing and pulls a sleeve toward the face against a buffeting wind. This person walks across a terrain of rocks and snow-covered ground, positioned in the lower right quadrant of the vertical composition. To the left, a large deciduous tree with bare branches reaches toward the upper edge of the…

5
Returning Late from a Spring Outing (1644) by Dai Jin

Returning Late from a Spring Outing

1644 · Ink · National Palace Museum, Taipei

Dai Jin’s “Returning Late from a Spring Outing,” painted in 1644, offers a profound glimpse into the heart of Chinese literati aesthetics – a world where landscape painting transcended mere representation to become a vehicle for spiritual contemplation. This exquisite silk hand-painting, measuring 167 x 83 cm, captures a quintessential Shanshui scene, a hallmark of the Song Dynasty’s influence on Chinese art, and embodies the spirit of the Ma-Xia style,…

The subjects that held Dai Jin's eye

The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.

The museums that keep Dai Jin's originals

The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.

Museum City Works by Dai Jin Paintings from this list
Cleveland Museum of Art, ClevelandCleveland Museum of Art Cleveland 2 The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream, Ten Thousand Li of the Yangzi
The Palace Museum, BeijingThe Palace Museum Beijing 2 The Night Excursion of Zhong Kui, Travelers Through Mountain Passes
Art Institute of Chicago, ChicagoArt Institute of Chicago Chicago 1 Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkMetropolitan Museum of Art New York 1 Returning home through the snow
National Palace Museum, TaipeiNational Palace Museum Taipei 1 Returning Late from a Spring Outing
National Museum in Warsaw, WarsawNational Museum in Warsaw Warsaw 1 W drodze do przełęczy

Dai Jin, one signature painting per decade

Works per decade

Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.

Dai Jin's paintings: the gallery answers

Which Dai Jin painting is the most famous of all?Reveal the answer

The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream (1431), Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Landscape with Daoist Immortals Playing Weiqi (1449) and The Night Excursion of Zhong Kui (1450) come next.

How old was Dai Jin on completing The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream?Reveal the answer

43 years old: The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream dates from 1431, and Dai Jin was born in 1388.

How many works did Dai Jin create?Reveal the answer

Our catalog holds 8 works by Dai Jin, dated from 1431 to 1455.

Where do Dai Jin's most famous originals hang?Reveal the answer

Mostly in Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland), The Palace Museum (Beijing) and Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago). The museum table above lists them all.

When did Dai Jin create the most famous paintings?Reveal the answer

In 1450s: 2 of the 8 works on this page were made then, The Night Excursion of Zhong Kui among them.

Which are Dai Jin's earliest and latest famous works?Reveal the answer

On this page, the earliest is The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream (1431) and the latest Returning home through the snow (1455).

Which subjects did Dai Jin return to most?Reveal the answer

Mountains (3), Water (2) and People (2), across the 8 works on this page.

Which medium did Dai Jin work in most?Reveal the answer

Ink, for 3 of the 8 works on this page.

Which Dai Jin originals does the Cleveland Museum of Art hold?Reveal the answer

The Hermit Xu You Resting by a Stream and Ten Thousand Li of the Yangzi: the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland holds 2 of the works on this page.

Dai Jin: the artist

early life and career

dai jin, a renowned chinese artist, was born in 1388 and passed away in 1462. he was a leading figure in the early ming revival of the ma-xia style, also known as the zhe school, which emerged from the landscape painting traditions of the southern song. as a young man, dai jin traveled to the capital, nanjing, with his father, who worked in an official capacity. although he failed to establish himself in the capital, he returned to qiantang and resumed his study of painting, likely under the guidance of a local zhejiang artisan.

rise to prominence

dai jin's reputation grew significantly around 1425, when he was recommended to the xuande emperor. he traveled to beijing in hopes of securing an academy appointment. however, his plans were thwarted by established painters, particularly xie huan, who claimed to detect anti-government bias in dai's works. one notable example is dai jin's painting, seven worthies passing the barrier (c. 1425-35), which was based on an old tale recounting the flight of seven men from a tumultuous state. this work, along with another piece depicting a fisherman in a red coat, led to dai jin's downfall.

notable works and legacy

* dai jin's landscapes, showcasing the four seasons, were initially well-received by the xuande emperor. * seven worthies passing the barrier (c. 1425-35), a painting that led to dai jin's persecution.

conclusion

despite facing challenges and persecution, dai jin's contributions to the zhe school and chinese landscape painting remain significant. his works continue to be celebrated for their unique style and innovative techniques. important: to learn more about dai jin and his artworks, visit dai jin's page on OriginalUniqueArt.com.