A PANORAMA OF RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS

Service Description

Shanshui, or Chinese landscape painting, dates back to the Six Dynasties period in China (222 - 589 CE). By the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE), it had split into two major painting styles: blue-green shanshui and ink wash shanshui. Blue-green shanshui (literally'mountain-water') painting was named after the use of blue and green mineral or plant dyes as primary colours, and it benefited from the outstanding contributions of Li Sixun and his son Li Zhaodao, known as the 'Two Lis'. During the Song dynasty (960-1279), artists such as Wang Shen, Zhao Lingrang, Wang Ximeng, Zhao Boju, and Zhao Bosu further developed the style, perfecting the expressive techniques of blue-green shanshui. They were followed in the early Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), when Qian Xuan and Zhao Mengfu began exploring ways to integrate blue-green shanshui with literati preferences. Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, Qiu Ying, and other members of the Wu School made significant progress toward a fusion of the blue-green and ink wash styles during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Dong Qichang, a well-known late Ming painter, and the 'Four Wangs of the Early Qing' (Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Hui, and Wang Yuanqi) advanced the art form by emphasising imitation of ancient techniques. Artists such as Zhang Daqian and Huang Binhong made new breakthroughs in the modern era, transforming this long-lasting painting style. This category includes two works in the Palace Museum collection: 'A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' by Wang Ximeng and 'The Landscape in Autumn,' attributed to Zhao Boju. 'A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' is the most representative and historically significant piece of the blue-green shanshui style. Following the acquisition of Wang Ximeng's masterpiece, the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty commissioned palace painters Wang Bing and Fang Cong to create two separate reproductions, which are also included in this exhibition for comparison. Long 'river and mountain' scroll paintings in the Ming and Qing dynasties followed in the footsteps of earlier Song dynasty painters, demonstrating the painters' expertise in depicting rolling and undulating mountains, as well as their diverse painting techniques and stylistic forms. Tips: - Fri, Sep 15 @ 8 : 30 am - Thu, Dec 14 @ 4 : 30 pm - Apr 1 - Oct 31 @ 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (last entry: 4:10 pm), 60 yuan/person; Nov 1 - Mar 31 @ 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (last entry: 3:40 pm), 40 yuan/person. - You can purchase a ticket at the Palace Museum.