Early Spring is a large hanging scroll painted in ink and light color on silk by Guo Xi in 1072, during the Northern Song dynasty. The work was created when Guo Xi was at the height of his career as a court painter, and it is one of the most celebrated examples of monumental landscape painting from this period. The scroll bears the artist's inscription and several later collectors' seals, indicating its historical significance and continued appreciation over the centuries. The composition presents a towering mountain rising through mist and clouds, with craggy cliffs and layered rock formations dominating the scene.

Bare trees and sparse pine branches cling to the slopes, suggesting the transition from winter to early spring. A waterfall cascades through the rocks near the center, and small figures and pavilions are nestled within the landscape, emphasizing the vastness of nature in contrast to human presence. The painting uses subtle gradations of ink wash to create depth and atmosphere, with meticulous brushwork describing the textures of rocks and trees. Its inscription gives the title, the year and the painter's name.

The scroll became highly influential in the history of Chinese painting, admired for its innovative use of perspective and its embodiment of Northern Song landscape ideals. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of collectors and emperors, as evidenced by the many red seals impressed on the silk. Today it is recognized as one of the masterpieces of Chinese art and is kept in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.