Ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of Joan Wurteleexpand_more 2000.85.1
These four leaves by the Wu school artist Qian Gu come from an album dated to the second month of 1555. Characterizing a majority of his landscapes are an elegant, quiet mood, and clear, understated brushwork that stands between the refinement of Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) and the simpler style of Shen Zhou (1427-1509), the two leading masters of the Wu school.
Born in Suzhou, Qian was orphaned at an early age and had little formal education until he became a pupil of the great literatus, Wen Zhengming. He evolved into an avid book collector and gained a reputation as a fine poet. While Qian often painted in Wen's style, his personal approach is recorded as having been derived more from that of Wen's teacher and friend Shen Zhou, the legendary founder of the Wu school.
Shen's style, defined by simple blunt brushwork, clear compositions, and transparent mineral colors is clearly evident in these landscapes by Qian. The remaining four leaves of this album are in a private Chinese collection.
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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