This image depicts a detailed, realistic edge of land, then a body of water, and mountains off in the distance. It seems that the island symbolizes earthly matters, whereas the mountains are cosmic matters. Additionally, the fisher is in the body of water, which as white space symbolizes the bridge between the two. It’s possible that fishing, as his livelihood and general flow, keeps him at peace and on a stable path towards the beyond. It’s also significant that this is all happening in nature, in the shadow of a mountain (possibly Mount Lu). This coincides very well with Taoist ideology, which champions forgetting all worldly matters and living harmoniously in nature. Perhaps the man on the boat is on a journey that many literati craved in times of political and social turmoil.