Album of the Feng River Landscape Scenes: Cloudy Mountains and River Boat

Object Details

• Artist

  Hongren (1610-1664)

• Label

  Hongren is the Buddhist name taken by the painter Jiang Tao, who also used the name Jianjiang. Already in his own lifetime, he was acclaimed for his cool, spare vision of nature, which he translated into an individualistic style of austere monochrome landscapes. Trained in youth for the esteemed Confucian career of serving as a government official, Hongren passed the entrance-level exams for public service but then withdrew to care for his widowed mother and to study art and literature. When he was thirty-four, Manchu conquerors swept into China and overthrew the established imperial order, founding a new dynasty called the Qing (1644-1911). Hongren, who remained loyal to the previous rulers, fled the ensuing turmoil and became a Buddhist monk.

  Cloudy Mountains and River Boats represents the less well known "wet" style of Hongren's repertoire, more famous for its dry brushwork. Heavy use of wash creates the impression that rain is imminent. Hongren recalls the art of Gao Kegong (1248-1310) and other early models in the composition of this scene, which nonetheless is a personal vision of nature.

• Provenance

  To?

  Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). [1]

  To 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York. [2]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York. [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See object file.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  Pavilions and Immortal Mountains: Chinese Decorative Art and Paintings (September 28, 1987 to February 28, 1988)

  Rarities of Chinese Painting in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections (December 8, 1973 to June 29, 1986)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Zhang Daqian 張大千 (China, 1899-1983)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Shexian, Anhui province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1660s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Zhang, Daqian

• Place

  China, Shexian, Anhui province

• Topic

  Mountains, Landscapes, Boats and boating, Art, Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Cloud, Rivers

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings