The Making of a National Treasure III

Based on the contents of Qiu Yuan’s (1247-1326) colophon on the inscription paper mounted above the work, we learn that Chen Lin painted on the spur of the moment when visiting the Songxue Studio of Zhao Mengfu during autumn. Zhao even added a few strokes to the painting as well. The brushwork for depicting the duck is delicate but not overly refined or with any stiffness. 

Wu Zhen was gifted at poetry and prose, being especially skilled at cursive script. Also an important painter of ink bamboo and landscapes on fishing in reclusion, he became known as one of the Four Yuan Masters.
       

The two large overlapping trees in the foreground, although referred to as pines in the title, are actually cypresses. In the background, a winding stream with cottages scattered here and there forms a level distance. 

The method of painting the trees and rocks follows the Li-Guo (Li Cheng and Guo Xi) and Dong-Ju (Dong Yuan and Juran) schools, the atmosphere of ink being moist and the brushwork strong and forceful. The layers of scenery are clearly defined and the simple yet stable harmony exudes a sense of archaism. 

Not only does this work reflect the artistic attainment of Wu Zhen, it is also valuable for studying his relationship with Daoism, providing important information about the Li-Guo and Dong-Ju schools of painting in the Yuan dynasty as well.

According to the inscription by Zhang Yu, the main figure in this scroll is none other than Ni Zan (1301-1374), one of the Four Yuan Masters of painting. The landscape on the screen behind is also intentionally done in imitation of Ni’s style. The pose of the figure is also borrowed from that of Vimalakirti in Buddhist painting, transforming the image of Ni Zan into that of a refined and lofty recluse.

Zhang Yu, a close friend of Ni Zan, wrote an inscription of praise, part of which reads: “Gazing askance at the fullness of life, he takes the world lightly with a sense of humor.” Outer appearance revealing the inner spirit is exactly what the portrait attempts to achieve. 

This scroll reflects an important friendship in Chinese painting and the development of literati portraiture, having great period significance and artistic quality as well.
 

Zhao Yong (style name Zhongmu), the second son of the famous scholar-artist Zhao Mengfu, followed the footsteps of his father in painting and calligraphy. Zhao Yong was especially gifted at depicting figures and saddled horses.

This painting, dated to the equivalent of 1352, depicts horses at leisure and a groom dozing against a pine to highlight the relaxed atmosphere.

In traditional Chinese painting, horses are seen as symbolic of human character, the groom manifesting officialdom, or even the emperor. As such, this work suggests the idea of a country in peace, not requiring action on the part of the ruler and letting men of virtue give rein to their talents. 

The painting throughout is rendered with lines using a centered brush complemented by blue-and-green colors. Combined with the formulaic treatment of leaves, it has much of the archaic manner associated with the Tang dynasty (618-907) painting. 

Wei Jiuding (style name Mingxuan), a native of Tiantai in Zhejiang, excelled at landscape, figure, and “ruled-line” painting. 

This scroll is done in “baimiao” fine ink lines to depict the goddess of the Luo River riding mysteriously on clouds and gliding over ripples of misty river waters. Her supple yet decisive and flowing robes flutter in the wind like a twisting dragon ascending to the heavens, fully exhibiting the deity’s spirited and otherworldly beauty. 

Compared to the more complex narrative of other depictions, this painting focuses almost solely on the goddess, the scenery especially lofty and archaic. 

Behind is a large area of void, at the left are traces of the original paper removed, and at the right is an inscription by the famous contemporary artist Ni Zan. 

The distance at the top has a few strokes of the brush to suggest rolling peaks, but stylistically they appear to have been added by another hand. The only painting by Wei Jiuding in the National Palace Museum collection, this is a rare and especially precious work.

Ni Zan excelled at landscape and ink bamboo painting, his calligraphy also pure and marvelous. He is ranked along with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng as one of the Four Yuan Masters.

This painting from the year 1372 is inscribed with poetry that Ni Zan wrote himself. Done for his friend Huanbo, it is a typical example of the “Three Perfections” of painting, poetry, and calligraphy in a single work and a literati painting for a friend in the know. 

The composition here is more complex than in Ni’s earlier works, skillfully intersecting the slopes and branches to lead the viewer’s eye into the remote distance for a sense of desolation in autumn woods. Despite the independent appearance of dots, washes, texturing, and brush scrubbing on the paper, all come together as a cohesive whole. 

Complemented by dry ink and desiccated textures using a slanted brush, it creates for an atmosphere of clarity, brittleness, desolation, and high antiquity--a reflection almost of Ni Zan’s own obsession with cleanliness. Pouring forth with ease, these qualities form a marvelous truth that make this a masterpiece of Ni’s late years.

“Juqu” in the title here is an ancient name for Lake Taihu, and “Forest Chamber” refers to a grotto there at Dongting West Mountain. The scenery in the painting with eroded features of caves and gullies reveals precipitous buildings and a waterside kiosk. 

Wang Meng (style name Shuming, sobriquet Huanghe shanqiao) was a maternal grandson of Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322). Along with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Ni Zan, he is ranked among the Four Yuan Masters.
      

The mountains are rendered in dry “ox-hair” texture strokes, the brushwork mature and varied. The leaves are also painted in wash dots of ochre, gamboge, and cinnabar, filling the work with a sense of autumn. 

Both the brushwork and coloring are marvelously spirited, the forms crammed into a composition that it is almost claustrophobic in feeling, creating an arrangement rarely seen in Chinese painting history.

From the solidity of Northern Song landscapes to the lyrical void of Southern Song ones, the development of landscape painting at this time is seen entering new territory in the hands of Wang Meng.

The drapery lines are condensed and the brushwork varied, at times even and lingering with a fluid and flowing manner. At other times, it is hesitant and twisting, forceful and vigorous. The facial features and hair of the figures are rendered with delicate strokes, and even the refined details of the drapery patterns are fully expressed. 

Although bearing no seal or signature of the artist, the rendering throughout is precise and exacting, the coloring beautiful but not overbearing to create a pure and elegantly otherworldly effect. The pair of scrolls serves as a superb example of Yuan dynasty religious painting.