Wintry Trees is a hanging scroll produced by Wen Zhengming at a time of personal loss. Craig Clunas explains some of its classic features and explores the work’s unusual inscription which raises as many questions as it answers.

Nothing is known about the first owner of Wintry Trees except his name and that he spent time with Wen Zhengming shortly after his bereavement. Was this mysterious visitor offering sincere condolences or was his gift-giving merely an attempt to exploit a culture of reciprocity?