Li Tang
Pioneered bold Southern Song ink landscape style
Li Tang (1066—1150) was a painter from the Southern Song dynasty. His courtesy name was Xigu, and he was from Sancheng in Heyang (now Mengzhou, Henan). He initially made a living by selling paintings. During the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, he caught attention in a painting academy exam with his clever composition on the theme "Selling wine by the bridge locked by bamboo" and was selected as the top candidate, joining the Xuanhe Painting Academy. After the Jin forces captured Bianjing, Li Tang was taken north but along the way, during his escape, he encountered bandits in the Taihang Mountains and was rescued by Xiao Zhao, who became his mentor. Together, they crossed south to Lin’an (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). Li Tang at one point had to sell paintings on the street and lived in poverty, even writing a poem expressing his hardships. Later, through the recommendation of Grand Commandant Shao Hongyuan, he rejoined the painting academy during Emperor Gaozong of Song's Shaoxing period, taking the position of Chengzhonglang and serving as a court painter, nearly at the age of eighty. Li Tang specialized in landscapes and figures. His landscapes evolved from the styles of Jing Hao and Fan Kuan, with vigorous and ancient brushwork, majestic spirit, paving the way for the bold and solid ink style of the Southern Song. In his early career, he was influenced by Li Sixun and Li Zhaodao’s green-and-blue landscapes and developed the small green-and-blue technique. In his later years, he simplified his style, using sharp and strong strokes, and created the "large axe-cut" texture, painting stones with a hard texture and strong three-dimensional sense. He also excelled in figure painting, initially studying under Li Gonglin. His later drapery style turned angular and strong, forming his own style. Many of his works depicted historical heroes like Boyi, Shuqi, and Duke Wen of Jin, expressing his patriotism. He was also famous for painting oxen. His painting style deeply influenced artists such as Liu Songnian, Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Xiao Zhao. Along with Liu Songnian, Ma Yuan, and Xia Gui, he is considered one of the "Four Masters of the Southern Song," and later generations regard him as the foremost among them. Existing works of his include "Pine Winds in Ten Thousand Valleys," "Fishing in the Clear Stream," "Gathering Ferns," "Autumn Waters on Hao Bridge," "Small Landscape of Rivers and Mountains," and "Duke Wen of Jin Restores the State," among others.