Shen Zhou painted “Lofty Mount Lu,” to mark the 70th birthday of his teacher, Chen Kuan. Mount Lu, towering about 1,500 meters above sea level and known as one of the most popular scenic mountains in the country, is located in Jiangxi province, where Chen hailed from. The painting is seen as a representation of Shen’s respect for his teacher.
Many art critics agree that the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was a golden age of landscape paintings in China.
Always a popular genres in traditional Chinese painting, landscape became more diverse in terms of style, brush work and aesthetics during this time than ever before.
After the Mongolian-governed Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was toppled and the ethnic Han majority began to rule again, imperial court artists strove to revive the descriptive style of the painting academy of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), also a Han regime. Eventually, they formed the so-called Zhe School.
Meanwhile, another group of painters formed the Wu School, based in today’s Suzhou in east China’s Jiangsu Province, to practice the more expressive and calligraphic style of the Yuan Dynasty literati painters. Painters of this school used painting as a vehicle to express their personalities and feelings about different subjects or events.
One of the most representative landscape paintings of the Wu School is Lushan Gao Tu, or Lofty Mount Lu, created by Shen Zhou (1427-1509), the patriarch of the school and also one of the “Four Masters of Ming Dynasty.” The other three were Tang Yin (1470-1524), Qiu Ying (1494-1552) and Shen’s preeminent follower Wen Zhengming (1470-1559).
Shen was born into a wealthy family in Suzhou. Both his father and uncle were renowned poets, essayists, calligraphers and painters. Thanks to a fortune he inherited, Shen never needed to sit the imperial civil examinations. He also never tried to earn a living by selling his art like many other scholars and painters of his time. Instead, he devoted his life to reading, writing and painting.
The scholarly upbringing and artistic training Shen received in his early years helped establish him as the quintessential literati painter of the Ming Dynasty.
It is said that before Shen reached the age of 40, he chiefly followed Yuan Dynasty master painters such as Wang Meng (1308-1385); but after 40, he began to emulate the styles of Huang Gongwang (1269-1354) and Wu Zhen (1280-1354).
Meanwhile, Shen also studied the brush techniques of many Southern Song Dynasty painters.
After refining the techniques he learned from those masters of earlier dynasties, Shen created his own simplified brush style featuring bold lines and monumental compositions.
Art critics have also noted that Shen tended to paint small scenes before 40, but then switched to large works.
Shen’s masterpiece, “Lofty Mount Lu,” a 193.8 x 98.1cm, ink and color on paper handing scroll, was painted in 1467, when the artist was 41. So, it’s also a transitional work of Shen.
In the painting, Shen employed Wang Meng’s brush work to depict rocks and trees and used traditional hemp-fiber texture strokes to create the mountains and slopes. In order to achieve a three-dimensional effect, the artist shaded the surfaces of slopes with light ink and later added layers of darker ink.
Here, Shen also displayed his calligraphic training in the rendering of a high waterfall with fine, smooth and vigorous lines.
Landscape paintings in China are often used to express the mind and emotions of the artist rather than simply portray the external world. For this reason, such paintings are usually filled with symbolism. “Lofty Mount Lu” is no exception.
Shen painted “Lofty Mount Lu” to mark the 70th birthday of his teacher, Chen Kuan, who hailed from east China’s Jiangxi Province. Mount Lu, towering about 1,500 meters above sea level and known as one of the most popular scenic mountains in the country, is located in that same province along the Yangtze River, the longest river in China.
A tiny, lone figure at the bottom of the painting looks up toward the peaks of the mountain. Critics believe this figure represents the artist himself.
Looking carefully, one will find a lone figure at the bottom of the painting, looking upward at the peaks of the mountain. Many critics believe this figure represents the artist himself.
This scene will remind many of a famous and frequently-quoted Chinese saying: “gaoshan yangzhi,” or literally, “beholding a high mountain with awe.” This phrase is actually a metaphor for admiring a man of great virtue.
“Lofty Mount Lu” was perhaps not only a birthday gift, but also a representation of the artist’s reverence for his teacher.
Today, this masterpiece is housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Traditional Chinese painting
Chinese painting, also known as brush painting or ink-wash painting, is one of the oldest art forms in the world. However, the varied styles, techniques, perspectives and symbolism of such paintings are often very different from most Western art works. Also, the tools and media employed by the artists of traditional Chinese painting, such as inksticks, inkstones, rice paper and brushes, are unfamiliar to many Westerners. As a result, Chinese paintings, including many masterpieces, may seem mysterious to our readers. This series aims to explain the aesthetic concepts behind Chinese paintings and tell some interesting stories about their creation and their creators.Chinese painting, also known as brush painting or ink-wash painting, is one of the oldest art forms in the world. However, the varied styles, techniques, perspectives and symbolism of such paintings are often very different from most Western art works. Also, the tools and media employed by the artists of traditional Chinese painting, such as inksticks, inkstones, rice paper and brushes, are unfamiliar to many Westerners. As a result, Chinese paintings, including many masterpieces, may seem mysterious to our readers. This series aims to explain the aesthetic concepts behind Chinese paintings and tell some interesting stories about their creation and their creators.
Art & Culture
Lofty Mount Lu
Shen Zhou painted "Lofty Mount Lu," to mark the 70th birthday of his teacher, Chen Kuan. The painting is seen as a representation of Shen's respect for his teacher. 12h 0
Art & Culture
Woodblock illustrations of 'Romance of the Western Chamber'
Chen Hongshou's illustrations from "Romance of the Western Chamber" feature figurative, elegant contours and curvilinear drapery lines. 3d 0
Art & Culture
Portrait of Wang Shimin
Many critics say the portraits were "breathtaking real, as though they were a reflection of the sitter in the mirror." 2019-05-06 09:00 0
Art & Culture
Grapes
The hanging scroll seemingly shows little more than a mess of ink drops, random dots and tangled brush lines. 2019-05-02 10:00 0
Art & Culture
Lotus and Ducks
It's typical for Bada Shanren's depiction of birds and gives them a certain look of rage, cynicism or defiance. 2019-04-30 10:00 0
Art & Culture
Court Ladies of the Former Shu State
Shinuhua, or painting of beautiful women, which portrayed the insular world of women from the elite, reached a new level of aestheticism and sophistication in Ming Dynasty.
2019-04-29 10:00 0
Shinuhua, or painting of beautiful women, which portrayed the insular world of women from the elite, reached a new level of aestheticism and sophistication in Ming Dynasty.
Art & Culture
Yangliuqing New Year Painting
When talking about traditional Chinese painting, there is another quite distinctive form of painting: the New Year paintings, produced mostly by folk artisans. 2019-04-23 10:00 0
Art & Culture
Immortal in Splashed Ink
In the middle and late years of Tang Dynasty, a group of artists began to experiment more adventurous brush techniques such as splashing ink. 2019-04-18 10:00 0
Art & Culture
Monk in a Red Robe
Monk in a Red Robe, has long been cherished by Chinese scholars as a rare gem in traditional Chinese painting. 2019-04-16 10:00 0
Art & Culture
Mountains and Pines in Spring
The painting is a typical art piece of "Mi's dots." Mi's dots often remind today's viewer of the pointillism developed by French impressionist painters. 2019-04-10 18:30 0
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Yongle Palace Murals
The murals in the Sistine Chapel are known across the world, but hardly any tourists have seen their Chinese counterparts, the murals in the remote Yongle Gong temple. 2018-08-03 17:18 0
Art & Culture
Auspicious Cranes
Among all the paintings attributed to the Northern Song emperor Zhao Ji, "none is so enchanting as the short handscroll entitled 'Auspicious Cranes.'" 2018-08-02 16:42 0
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Night-Shining White
During Tang Dynasty, the equine painting became extremely popular and many new techniques were developed to paint this "celestial animal." 2018-07-20 16:50 0
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Travelers Among Mountains and Streams
To embody the Taoist principle of man being just a small part of nature, Fan Kuan made the human figures rather small in order to dramatize the awesome power of nature. 2018-02-23 17:07 0
Art & Culture
Emperor Xuanzong's Journey to Shu
"Emperor Xuanzong's Journey to Shu" has long been deemed the best example of the Green and Blue Landscape genre in traditional Chinese painting.
2018-01-15 15:38 0
"Emperor Xuanzong's Journey to Shu" has long been deemed the best example of the Green and Blue Landscape genre in traditional Chinese painting.
Art & Culture
T-shaped painting on silk
The painting on a T-shaped silk banner was unearthed from a 2,000-year-old tomb in southern China, revealing the ethereal beauty of exquisite line drawing. 2018-01-10 16:51 0
Art & Culture
Eighty-Seven Celestials
Painted in the typical Chinese baimiao or "plain drawing" style, the brushwork has long been deemed as the very best of its genre in the traditional Chinese painting. 2017-11-24 18:07 0
Art & Culture
Dunhuang Murals: gem in the world's history of art
Housing more than 50,000 square meters of gorgeous murals, the Buddhist caves in Dunhuang are a rare gem in the world's history of art. 2017-11-14 12:35 0
Art & Culture
Spring Morning in the Han Palace
The long handscroll depicts a variety of activities on a spring morning in the imperial palace of Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220. 2017-11-02 13:45 0
Art & Culture
One Hundred Horses
Among the top 10 masterpieces of traditional Chinese painting, one Hundred Horses was painted not by a Chinese artist, but by an Italian called Giuseppe Castiglione. 2017-11-01 12:00 0
Art & Culture
Nine Dragons
Some art scholar described the painting as "a combination of utter brilliance, strong feelings, outstanding calligraphy and ink painting skill, and a completely sloshed mind." 2017-10-30 10:55 0
Art & Culture
Rare Fowl Sketched from Life
Although the painter created it to teach his son how to paint, Rare Fowl Sketched from Life has become a popular example of bird-and-flower painting. 2017-10-27 18:02 0
Art & Culture
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
When talking about traditional Chinese landscape paintings, it's almost impossible not to mention Fuchun Shan Ju Tu, or Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. 2017-10-25 17:37 0
Art & Culture
Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk
Even today, "paintings of beautiful women" or "belle paintings" remains an important branch of traditional Chinese painting. 2017-10-25 16:38 0
Art & Culture
A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains
As stunning as the work itself is the fact that "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" was created by a teenager in the 12th century. 2017-10-25 15:57 0
Art & Culture
Night Revels of Han Xizai
“Night Revels of Han Xizai” was created simply because Li Yu (AD 937-978), the last ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty (AD 937-975), wanted to spy on a top official in his court. 2017-10-19 17:24 0
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Five Oxen
A painting featuring five oxen on flax paper created nearly 1,300 years ago has been widely recognized as the earliest extant paper painting in China. 2017-10-19 16:51 0
Art & Culture
Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy
Some masterpieces in traditional Chinese painting depict important scenes from history, such as the painting entitled “Bunian Tu” or “Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy.” 2017-10-19 16:35 0
