Li Cheng
Master of misty, sparse Northern Song landscapes
Courtesy Name: Xianxi(咸熙), Art Name: Yingqiu(营丘), from Yingqiu (now Weifang, Shandong). He was a painter from the late Five Dynasties to early Song dynasty and the grandson of Suzhou governor Li Ding. Life - In 945 (the 2nd year of Kaiyun of Later Jin), he began painting. - In 960, after the fall of the Later Zhou, he joined the Northern Song. - In 967 (the 5th year of Qiande in Northern Song), he died drunk in Chenzhou (now Zhoukou, Henan) at the age of 49. He was well-educated and talented, full of ambition but with no outlet, so he devoted himself to calligraphy and painting. Artistic Achievements - Teachers: Jing Hao, Guan Tong, but he developed his own style. Style Features: - Good at painting wide, open rural landscapes with a cold and empty atmosphere. - Simple and restrained use of ink, "as sparing with ink as with gold." - Rocks flow like rolling clouds, creating the "rolling cloud texture." - Innovated the "crab claw" technique. - Artistic characteristics: misty forests and open spaces, brushwork lively, ink technique delicate, successfully capturing the elegance of natural landscapes in mist, wind, and rain. Representative Works "Reading Stele and Rocks," "Cold Forest and Open Fields," "Clear Mountains and Lonely Temples," "Dense Forests and Distant Peaks," etc. Historical Position He is called one of the "Three Great Masters of the Northern Song" along with Dong Yuan and Fan Kuan, and together with Guan Tong and Fan Kuan, he is part of the "Triumvirate," praised as a "benchmark for centuries," having a profound influence on the development of landscape painting. Guo Ruoxu, in "Records of Painting and Seeing," said: 'For those with a sparse and open atmosphere, clear and empty misty forests, lively brushwork, and delicate ink technique, that is the style of Yingqiu.' Li Cheng Memorial Hall Located on the north side of the horse path inside Fucai Gate of Qingzhou Ancient City, Weifang (west of Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall), covering 897.7 square meters. It showcases his life, works, and historical significance.