Landscapes after old masters Pl.2
1630
Dong Qichang, a Ming dynasty powerhouse of painting and theory, loved to pay homage to the masters who came before him, and this sketch is a perfect example. The sheet is split into two distinct scenes: the top half features rugged, craggy mountains fading into a misty river, while the bottom offers a cozy retreat—a tiny cottage nestled among gnarled trees and rocky outcrops. It looks like a quick study, almost like a visual diary entry, showing how he absorbed ancient styles to create his own 'literati' aesthetic. He was actually quite a controversial guy in his day (a bit of a land-grabbing bully, reportedly!), but his artistic influence was so massive that he basically dictated Chinese painting taste for centuries.