Landscape, 17th century
Xiang Shengmoexpand_more
Ink on gold-flecked paperexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 98.66.6
Not on Viewexpand_more
This landscape painting is an example of Individualism, a branch of painting in Chinese art that rejected rendering scenes realistically, instead valuing the artist’s expression through the portrayal of the subject. Here, Xiang Shengmo has painted a sparse, impressionist scene of a mountain and trees; there is very little sign of human activity, aside from a small hut on a plateau on the right side. Xiang was influenced by Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) artist Ni Zan, one of the greatest literati painters of that time, who created his quiet, somber, monochrome paintings in direct defiance of traditional concepts of Chinese painting. He considered self-expression far more important than accurate representation, influencing many Chinese artists that came after him.
Xiang’s poem reads:
I will not imply physical resemblance to painting
I will paint this object sparsely and with simplicity, but endow it with emotion
I painted this for a friend on an autumn evening
Details
- Title
- Landscape
- Artist Life
- 1597-1658
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 98.66.6
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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