Shang Qi
Master of blue-green landscapes and ink murals
Shang Qi(商琦) (?-1324), courtesy name Defu(德符), also known as Shouyan(寿岩), was from Jiyin, Caozhou (present-day Heze, Shandong) and was a painter during the Yuan dynasty. He served as Secretary Minister (third rank), and his father Shang Ting was a famous minister in the early Yuan dynasty. His painting was influenced by Li Cheng and Guo Xi, and he excelled in the blue-green landscape style and murals. Together with Gao Kegong and Zhao Mengfu, he was known as one of the 'Three Outstanding Painters of the Early Yuan.' His surviving standalone work, the scroll 'Spring Mountain,' is housed in the Palace Museum. In the eighth year of the Dade era (1304), he met Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan, Temür, and joined the imperial guards, forming a close friendship with Emperor Renzong. In the first year of Huangqing (1312), he was appointed Academician of Ji Xian Shi Jiang, and in the fourth year of Yanyou (1317), he was promoted to Reader, then in the third year of Zhizhi (1323), he became Secretary Minister. He once led the creation of palace murals, often depicting landscapes from Bashu and Jiangnan. Emperor Renzong specifically allowed him to paint murals 'without using gold, vermilion, or colored pigments, but only ink wash.' The existing 'Spring Mountain' combines intricate brushwork with northern and southern painting styles, showcasing ink wash techniques.