Jing Hao
Founded Northern Landscape school with ink theory
Jing Hao(荆浩) (c. 850-911), courtesy name Haoran(浩然), also known as Hongguzi(洪谷子), was a painter of the Later Liang during the Five Dynasties and is considered the founder of the Northern Landscape painting school. There’s some debate about whether he was born in Qinyang County, Shanxi, or Jiyuan, Henan. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, to avoid the wars, he lived in seclusion in the Honggu Valley of the Taihang Mountains, farming for a living. He spent a long time in the Taihang and Wangwu Mountains focusing on painting and theoretical studies. Jing Hao studied under Zhang Zao, while also learning the strong brushwork of Wu Daozi and the ink techniques of Xiang Rong. He proposed the painting technique of “using both brush and ink, with water spreads and ink marks.” His work *Notes on Brushwork* systematically explains the “six essentials” theory for landscape painting: vitality, rhythm, scene, thought, brush, and ink. His landscapes often feature panoramic compositions that show the majesty of northern mountains and rivers. Notable works like *View of Mount Kuanglu* and *Snowy Landscape* helped form the classic “mountains in the clouds” motif. He also painted murals at Shuanglin Temple in Bianjing (today’s Kaifeng, Henan) and was skilled in creating Buddhist statues.