Jingxi Calling Forth the Recluse (Complete Scroll), paper, 26x92.6, Metropolitan Museum
Dong Qichang, the Ming Dynasty giant who basically wrote the rulebook for Chinese literati painting, blends poetry and landscape in this stunning handscroll. The far right reveals a serene, ink-wash vision of the Jingxi region, featuring his signature dry brushstrokes and layered mountains that look more like a dream than a photograph. The rest of the scroll flows with elegant calligraphy, likely poems responding to the 'Summoning the Recluse' theme—a classic literary nod to hermits living in nature. It's a textbook example of his 'Southern School' style, where the artist's inner mood matters far more than realistic detail.
- Technique
- Ink wash and calligraphy
- Material
- Paper
- Dimensions
- 26 x 92.6 cm
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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