Album of Landscapes in the Style of the Ancient Masters 03 (Nelson)
Dong Qichang, the ultimate art critic and painter of the late Ming Dynasty, loved to 'copy' the old masters—but in the most creative way possible. This piece, part of an album dedicated to imitating ancient styles, pays homage to the Yuan dynasty master Zhao Mengfu, whose name appears in the elegant calligraphy at the top right. Look at those towering, almost ghostly mountains rising up; they are rendered with soft, dry brushstrokes that make the rock faces look like crumpled paper or clouds frozen in stone. A tiny pavilion and bridge hide in the valley, inviting the viewer into a scholar's dream world. Dong believed that deeply studying the past was the secret to true originality, a philosophy that basically rewrote the rules of Chinese art history.
- Technique
- Ink wash
- Material
- Paper