Chen Rong
Master of Song ink dragon painting
Chen Rong, courtesy name Gongchu, also known as Suoweng, was from Changle, Fujian (though the Jinxi County Gazetteer says he was from Linchuan, and the Illustrated Treasure Mirror says from Futang). He passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Duanping period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1235), and served as the registrar of the National Academy and governor of Putian, Fujian, eventually reaching the rank of Chaosan Daifu. His tomb is located in Changle, Fujian. He was talented in poetry and prose, and his style was bold and magnificent, especially famous for his ink-painted dragons. He created the technique of "splashing ink to form clouds, and spraying water to form mist," and after casually smearing, he would outline the figures with a brush. His dragons are known as "Suoweng Dragons," and his style greatly influenced dragon painting in China and Japan. Chen Rong was not only skilled at painting dragons, but also pines, bamboos, and cranes, and occasionally tigers. Hence, people referred to his works as "Suoweng Dragons," "Suoweng Cranes," and "Suoweng Bamboo." Existing authentic works include "Cloud Dragon" and "Ink Dragon" in the Guangdong Provincial Museum, among others, with a total of 22 signed pieces both in China and abroad.