Wang Yu was a younger relative of the well-known landscape painter Wang Yuan-Ch'i (1642-1715), and he is known as one of the Four Minor Wangs. He studied under Wang Yuan-Ch'i and inherited much of his teacher's painting style and theory. Broadly grouped as "orthodox" painters, all of these literati artists modeled their compositions and brushwork on those of the Sung and Yuan masters (11th-14th century).

This monumental composition pays tribute to the famous Yuan dynasty literatus Huang Kung-wang (1269-1354). Wang Yu's large landscapes are considered his finest works. The clearly defined composition, carefully controlled brushwork, and imposing scale of this painting make it one of Wang Yu's most notable efforts.