Ink and colors.  Song birds frolic by greening willow as a lofty scholar indulges in a solitary stroll, followed by his child attendant carrying his chin zither.  The signature, Ma Yuan, can be found in the lower left corner.

An inscription in the upper right reads:

Brushed by the long sleeves, the wild flowers dance.
The eremetic birds, avoiding mankind, do not chirp.

The calligraphy appears to be that of the Sung emperor Ning-tsung (r. 1195-1225).  The configuration of the characters recalls the style of Empress Yang, but the brush wielding is more fluent than hers.

Ma Yuan (12th-13th century) was a native of Yung-chi in Shanhsi Province but spent the latter part of his life in Chien-tang. His hao was Chin-shan.  He graced his clan, flourishing amidst ancestors and descendants.  His uncle Ma Kung-hsien, his father Ma shih-jung, his elder brother Ma Kuei, his son Ma Lin, were all famous for their painting.  He served as tai-chao in the Han-lin Academy during the reigns of emperors Kuang-tsung and Ning-tsung (1190-1224).  In painting he followed the style of Li Tang, modelling trees with dry burnt ink.  His pine trees are often emaciated and gnarled like bent iron rods, his rocks squarish and hard, modelled with large, wettish "axe-cut" strokes.  His figures while simplified are imbued with a lofty scholarly air, leisurely and refined.  His colouration is light, his architectural drawings show the use of ruled lines.  In painting landscapes he often did not paint complete scenes; in smaller works tall peaks rise upwards beyond the top or sheer cliffs plummet, dropping out of sight below the bottom of the pictures.  His nearby mountains may be seen so clearly as if they reached the heavens while distant hills appear as if they were not there, or there may be a single boat beneath a waning moon watched only by a solitary sitter.  For this reason his paintings have been called "One-corner Ma".  His vital dates are not known.