Old Tree and Cold Spring

By Wen Zhengming

scroll colour and ink on silk

Gugong Museum, Taipei

This picture was created in 1594. It is special among Chinese paintings. In the ling, narrow frame, the pine points into the sky and the spring runs downhill. The small part of the sky at the top and the flow of water at the bottom bring the viewers' imagination out of the painting, and enlarge the scene in the viewers' mind. The unrestrained and carefree style is different from his normal implicity.

 

 

 

 

 

Ink Grapes

By Xu Wei

166.3cm x 64.5cm

scroll ink and water on paper

Forbidden City Museum, Beijing

The painting expresses his grief for his unfortunate life. The poem at the top says, "After half a lifetime in dire straits I am already old; I stand alone in my study to whistle in the night breeze. The pearl under my pen has no where to sell; it is tossed and thrown into the wild vine." He used pearl as a metaphor of grape and himself to voice out that his hard work on art was not appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay Down and Travel

By Shen Zhou

27.8cm x 37.3cm each

booklet ink and colour on paper

Forbidden City Museum, Beijing

There are seventeen pictures in this booklet. Apart from seven landscapes, there are also flowers, insects, etc. The flowers are lightly coloured, using both outlining and no bone method. They are lyrical. He focuses on a particular object while painting and the pictures look simple. Therefore he enriches them with postscripts (poems).

 

 

 

Jade Cave and the Original of Immortals

By Chou Ying

169cm x 65.5cm

scroll colour on silk

Forbidden City Museum, Beijing

This picture describes a paradise in the world. The style comes from the green landscape of Zhao Boju in the Song dynasties. He used landscapes in reality to create an imaginary enviornment of Immortals.