Yuan: High-footed Gold Cup with Lotus and Osmanthus Designs
High-footed Gold Cup with Lotus and Osmanthus Designs Imprinted with “Deng Wan Si Lang” (“鄧萬四郎”款連生貴子紋高足金杯)
Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)
Wuxi Museum, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Search Results for: Ma Yuan
Ma Yuan: On a Mountain Path in Spring
On a Mountain Path in Spring (山徑春行)
Ma Yuan (ca.1160–1225), Song Dynasty
Album leaf, ink and color on silk, 27.4 x 43.1 cm, National Palace Museum, Taipei
Emperor Ningzong’s poem inscribed in the upper right corner reads, “The wild flowers dance when brushed by my sleeves. Reclusive birds make no sound as they shun the presence of people (觸袖野花多自舞，避人幽鳥不成啼).” The calligraphy is direct yet beautifully elegant. In the lower left is the signature of Ma Yuan, a court painter in the reigns of Emperors Guangzong (r. 1190–1194) and Ningzong (r. 1195–1224). These lines of poetry describe the stillness and tranquility of wild flowers, only to be disturbed by the intrusion of a lofty scholar taking a walk, a golden oriole responding by taking off in flight. The painting fuses lyrical meanings as stillness and activity intersect at this moment. As the bird takes flight, the branches of the weeping willow seem to blow in the breeze at the same time. A child attendant carries a wrapped zither proceeding to the middle of the painting while the lofty scholar seems to have stopped in mid-step to ponder the beauty of Nature. He twists his beard as if composing a verse, his view extending into the misty distance of the great void. The direction of the bird in flight and the movement of the willow branches naturally take the viewer’s eyes to the imperial inscription and the poetic intent behind it.
On a Mountain Path in Spring
Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty
Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty (元四家) is a group of four Chinese painters who worked during the Yuan period (1271–1368) and were revered during the Ming dynasty and later periods as major exponents of the tradition of “literati painting” (wenrenhua, 文人畫), which was concerned more with individual expression and learning than with outward representation and immediate visual appeal.
Two of the “four masters” were Huang Gongwang (黃公望) and Wu Zhen (吳鎮), who, being of the earlier generation of artists in the Yuan, consciously emulated the work of ancient masters, especially those pioneering artists of the Five Dynasties period, such as Dong Yuan (董源) and Juran (巨然), who rendered landscape in a broad, almost impressionistic manner, with coarse brushstrokes and wet ink washes. While these painters were also revered by the two younger Yuan masters, the restrained thinness of Ni Zan (倪瓚) and the almost embroidered richness of Wang Meng (王蒙) could not be more different from the work of the older Yuan masters.
Thus, with the four masters, all of whom were noted for their lofty personal and aesthetic ideals, the art of landscape painting shifted from an emphasis on close representation of nature to a personal expression of nature’s qualities. They spurred experimentation with novel brushstroke techniques.
Ma Yuan: On a Mountain Path in Spring
Emperor Ningzong’s poem inscribed in the upper right corner reads, “The wild flowers dance when brushed by my sleeves. Reclusive birds make no sound as they shun the presence of people (觸袖野花多自舞，避人幽鳥不成啼).” The calligraphy is direct yet beautifully elegant. In the lower left is the signature of Ma Yuan, a court painter in the reigns of Emperors Guangzong (r. 1190–1194) and Ningzong (r. 1195–1224). These lines of poetry describe the stillness and tranquility of wild flowers, only to be disturbed by the intrusion of a lofty scholar taking a walk, a golden oriole responding by taking off in flight. The painting fuses lyrical meanings as stillness and activity intersect at this moment. As the bird takes flight, the branches of the weeping willow seem to blow in the breeze at the same time. A child attendant carries a wrapped zither proceeding to the middle of the painting while the lofty scholar seems to have stopped in mid-step to ponder the beauty of Nature. He twists his beard as if composing a verse, his view extending into the misty distance of the great void. The direction of the bird in flight and the movement of the willow branches naturally take the viewer’s eyes to the imperial inscription and the poetic intent behind it.
Ma Yuan
Ma Yuan (馬遠, ca. 1160–1225) was an influential Chinese landscape painter of the Song dynasty whose work, together with that of Xia Gui (夏珪), formed the basis of the Ma-Xia School of painting.
Ma Yuan came from a prominent painting family. His grandfather, father, uncles, and son all served in the imperial Painting Academy. Ma occasionally painted flowers, but his genius lay in landscape painting. His technique, like that of many contemporaries, was at first inspired by Li Tang (李唐). Eventually Ma Yuan developed a personal style, with marked decorative elements such as the pine. A characteristic feature of many paintings is the so-called “one-corner” composition, in which the actual subjects of the painting are pushed to a corner or a side, leaving the other part of the painting more or less empty. Ma Yuan’s lyrical and romantic interpretation became the model for many later painters.
On a Mountain Path in Spring
Plum Blossoms and Rocks by a Stream with Teals
A Crisp Autumn in Streams and Mountains
Composing Poetry on a Spring Outing
Two Egrets on a Snowy Bank
Singing while Dancing
Viewing the Moon
Priest Dongshan Wading through the Stream
Pine and Longevity
A Banquet with Brilliant Lights
Scholar Viewing a Waterfall
Viewing Plum Blossoms by Moonlight
Silhouette of a Great Master—A Retrospective of Zhang Daqian’s Art
Zhang Daqian (1899–1983) was a native of Neijiang in Sichuan and had the personal name Yuan. He also went by the style name Jiyuan and was known as Daqian (Dai-chien) Jushi, the name of his studio being Dafeng Hall (Hall of Big Wind). As a child he began to learn painting from his mother Zeng Youzhen (1861–1936), and later in Shanghai he took Zeng Xi (1861–1930) and Li Ruiqing (1867–1920) as his teachers, who furthered his training in the arts of poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Zhang Daqian was a master of legendary proportions who led a dramatic life, including travel to Japan to learn textile dyeing as a young adult, joining a monastery and briefly becoming a Buddhist monk after his return, and making a journey to China’s far west to copy wall paintings at the grottoes of Dunhuang during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Then, in 1949, he left China for good and settled down in various places overseas, holding exhibits of his painting across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and becoming the most famous Chinese painter on the international art scene of the twentieth century. After coming to Taiwan in 1976, he would spend the remaining years of his life at a residence-studio that he named “Abode of Maya,” which is not far from the National Palace Museum.
Zhang Daqian’s early painting was strongly influenced by the Ming-Qing individualist artists Shitao (1642–1707) and Zhu Da (1626–1707), but he also looked back to the Sui-Tang period and the Northern Wei of China’s past. In fact, Zhang spent years studying the works of ancient masters, absorbing from them the essence of traditional brush and ink methods. In the end, he achieved excellence in the major techniques and subjects of Chinese painting, from landscapes to figures, birds-and-flowers, and animals. Learned and practiced in art, he was moreover a keen connoisseur who offered astute insights into the history of Chinese painting. He is perhaps most famous, however, for developing a breathtaking manner of painting known as “splashed colors.” Taking traditional splashed ink into new territory, he created a style that would become a trademark of his art. In calligraphy as well, Zhang Daqian excelled at copying various script types, fusing them into a highly individual and powerfully fresh manner that is a perfect complement to his versatile skill in painting. With a career as an artist spanning more than six decades and seemingly unlimited energy, a large number of his works survive today. Together, they testify to the great cultural heritage that Zhang left behind for the world to admire.
What many people may not realize is that Zhang Daqian had a close relationship with the National Palace Museum in Taipei. In accordance with Zhang’s bequest, a large number of his precious artworks, along with the seals that he used, was donated to the collection of the Museum after his passing. At the same time, his Abode of Maya was presented as a memorial residence and is now managed by the Museum as well. This year, 2019, marks the 120th anniversary of Zhang Daqian’s birth. In commemoration, a selection from the finest works in the National Palace Museum collection and those temporarily entrusted from the National Museum of History of his painting and calligraphy, seals, and precious photographs has been made for this special exhibition. It offers a retrospective of the features and essence of Zhang Daqian’s art from the early, middle, and late stages of his career, providing audiences with a comprehensive outline to the unparalleled legacy of this legendary master of modern times.
This exhibition is through June 25, 2019. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is open all year round from 8:30 to 18:30, or 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhishan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan
For more information, please visit the National Palace Museum website.
Zhang Daqian (1899–1983) was a native of Neijiang in Sichuan and had the personal name Yuan. He also went by the style name Jiyuan and was known as Daqian (Dai-chien) Jushi, the name of his studio being Dafeng Hall (Hall of Big Wind). As a child he began to learn painting from his mother Zeng Youzhen (1861–1936), and later in Shanghai he took Zeng Xi (1861–1930) and Li Ruiqing (1867–1920) as his teachers, who furthered his training in the arts of poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Zhang Daqian was a master of legendary proportions who led a dramatic life, including travel to Japan to learn textile dyeing as a young adult, joining a monastery and briefly becoming a Buddhist monk after his return, and making a journey to China’s far west to copy wall paintings at the grottoes of Dunhuang during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Then, in 1949, he left China for good and settled down in various places overseas, holding exhibits of his painting across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and becoming the most famous Chinese painter on the international art scene of the twentieth century. After coming to Taiwan in 1976, he would spend the remaining years of his life at a residence-studio that he named “Abode of Maya,” which is not far from the National Palace Museum.
Zhang Daqian’s early painting was strongly influenced by the Ming-Qing individualist artists Shitao (1642–1707) and Zhu Da (1626–1707), but he also looked back to the Sui-Tang period and the Northern Wei of China’s past. In fact, Zhang spent years studying the works of ancient masters, absorbing from them the essence of traditional brush and ink methods. In the end, he achieved excellence in the major techniques and subjects of Chinese painting, from landscapes to figures, birds-and-flowers, and animals. Learned and practiced in art, he was moreover a keen connoisseur who offered astute insights into the history of Chinese painting. He is perhaps most famous, however, for developing a breathtaking manner of painting known as “splashed colors.” Taking traditional splashed ink into new territory, he created a style that would become a trademark of his art. In calligraphy as well, Zhang Daqian excelled at copying various script types, fusing them into a highly individual and powerfully fresh manner that is a perfect complement to his versatile skill in painting. With a career as an artist spanning more than six decades and seemingly unlimited energy, a large number of his works survive today. Together, they testify to the great cultural heritage that Zhang left behind for the world to admire.
What many people may not realize is that Zhang Daqian had a close relationship with the National Palace Museum in Taipei. In accordance with Zhang’s bequest, a large number of his precious artworks, along with the seals that he used, was donated to the collection of the Museum after his passing. At the same time, his Abode of Maya was presented as a memorial residence and is now managed by the Museum as well. This year, 2019, marks the 120th anniversary of Zhang Daqian’s birth. In commemoration, a selection from the finest works in the National Palace Museum collection and those temporarily entrusted from the National Museum of History of his painting and calligraphy, seals, and precious photographs has been made for this special exhibition. It offers a retrospective of the features and essence of Zhang Daqian’s art from the early, middle, and late stages of his career, providing audiences with a comprehensive outline to the unparalleled legacy of this legendary master of modern times.
This exhibition is through June 25, 2019. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is open all year round from 8:30 to 18:30, or 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhishan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan
For more information, please visit the National Palace Museum website.
Zhang Daqian (1899–1983) was a native of Neijiang in Sichuan and had the personal name Yuan. He also went by the style name Jiyuan and was known as Daqian (Dai-chien) Jushi, the name of his studio being Dafeng Hall (Hall of Big Wind). As a child he began to learn painting from his mother Zeng Youzhen (1861–1936), and later in Shanghai he took Zeng Xi (1861–1930) and Li Ruiqing (1867–1920) as his teachers, who furthered his training in the arts of poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Zhang Daqian was a master of legendary proportions who led a dramatic life, including travel to Japan to learn textile dyeing as a young adult, joining a monastery and briefly becoming a Buddhist monk after his return, and making a journey to China’s far west to copy wall paintings at the grottoes of Dunhuang during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Then, in 1949, he left China for good and settled down in various places overseas, holding exhibits of his painting across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and becoming the most famous Chinese painter on the international art scene of the twentieth century. After coming to Taiwan in 1976, he would spend the remaining years of his life at a residence-studio that he named “Abode of Maya,” which is not far from the National Palace Museum.
Zhang Daqian’s early painting was strongly influenced by the Ming-Qing individualist artists Shitao (1642–1707) and Zhu Da (1626–1707), but he also looked back to the Sui-Tang period and the Northern Wei of China’s past. In fact, Zhang spent years studying the works of ancient masters, absorbing from them the essence of traditional brush and ink methods. In the end, he achieved excellence in the major techniques and subjects of Chinese painting, from landscapes to figures, birds-and-flowers, and animals. Learned and practiced in art, he was moreover a keen connoisseur who offered astute insights into the history of Chinese painting. He is perhaps most famous, however, for developing a breathtaking manner of painting known as “splashed colors.” Taking traditional splashed ink into new territory, he created a style that would become a trademark of his art. In calligraphy as well, Zhang Daqian excelled at copying various script types, fusing them into a highly individual and powerfully fresh manner that is a perfect complement to his versatile skill in painting. With a career as an artist spanning more than six decades and seemingly unlimited energy, a large number of his works survive today. Together, they testify to the great cultural heritage that Zhang left behind for the world to admire.
What many people may not realize is that Zhang Daqian had a close relationship with the National Palace Museum in Taipei. In accordance with Zhang’s bequest, a large number of his precious artworks, along with the seals that he used, was donated to the collection of the Museum after his passing. At the same time, his Abode of Maya was presented as a memorial residence and is now managed by the Museum as well. This year, 2019, marks the 120th anniversary of Zhang Daqian’s birth. In commemoration, a selection from the finest works in the National Palace Museum collection and those temporarily entrusted from the National Museum of History of his painting and calligraphy, seals, and precious photographs has been made for this special exhibition. It offers a retrospective of the features and essence of Zhang Daqian’s art from the early, middle, and late stages of his career, providing audiences with a comprehensive outline to the unparalleled legacy of this legendary master of modern times.
This exhibition is through June 25, 2019. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is open all year round from 8:30 to 18:30, or 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhishan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan
For more information, please visit the National Palace Museum website.
Zhang Daqian (1899–1983) was a native of Neijiang in Sichuan and had the personal name Yuan. He also went by the style name Jiyuan and was known as Daqian (Dai-chien) Jushi, the name of his studio being Dafeng Hall (Hall of Big Wind). As a child he began to learn painting from his mother Zeng Youzhen (1861–1936), and later in Shanghai he took Zeng Xi (1861–1930) and Li Ruiqing (1867–1920) as his teachers, who furthered his training in the arts of poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Zhang Daqian was a master of legendary proportions who led a dramatic life, including travel to Japan to learn textile dyeing as a young adult, joining a monastery and briefly becoming a Buddhist monk after his return, and making a journey to China’s far west to copy wall paintings at the grottoes of Dunhuang during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Then, in 1949, he left China for good and settled down in various places overseas, holding exhibits of his painting across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and becoming the most famous Chinese painter on the international art scene of the twentieth century. After coming to Taiwan in 1976, he would spend the remaining years of his life at a residence-studio that he named “Abode of Maya,” which is not far from the National Palace Museum.
Zhang Daqian’s early painting was strongly influenced by the Ming-Qing individualist artists Shitao (1642–1707) and Zhu Da (1626–1707), but he also looked back to the Sui-Tang period and the Northern Wei of China’s past. In fact, Zhang spent years studying the works of ancient masters, absorbing from them the essence of traditional brush and ink methods. In the end, he achieved excellence in the major techniques and subjects of Chinese painting, from landscapes to figures, birds-and-flowers, and animals. Learned and practiced in art, he was moreover a keen connoisseur who offered astute insights into the history of Chinese painting. He is perhaps most famous, however, for developing a breathtaking manner of painting known as “splashed colors.” Taking traditional splashed ink into new territory, he created a style that would become a trademark of his art. In calligraphy as well, Zhang Daqian excelled at copying various script types, fusing them into a highly individual and powerfully fresh manner that is a perfect complement to his versatile skill in painting. With a career as an artist spanning more than six decades and seemingly unlimited energy, a large number of his works survive today. Together, they testify to the great cultural heritage that Zhang left behind for the world to admire.
What many people may not realize is that Zhang Daqian had a close relationship with the National Palace Museum in Taipei. In accordance with Zhang’s bequest, a large number of his precious artworks, along with the seals that he used, was donated to the collection of the Museum after his passing. At the same time, his Abode of Maya was presented as a memorial residence and is now managed by the Museum as well. This year, 2019, marks the 120th anniversary of Zhang Daqian’s birth. In commemoration, a selection from the finest works in the National Palace Museum collection and those temporarily entrusted from the National Museum of History of his painting and calligraphy, seals, and precious photographs has been made for this special exhibition. It offers a retrospective of the features and essence of Zhang Daqian’s art from the early, middle, and late stages of his career, providing audiences with a comprehensive outline to the unparalleled legacy of this legendary master of modern times.
This exhibition is through June 25, 2019. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is open all year round from 8:30 to 18:30, or 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhishan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan
For more information, please visit the National Palace Museum website.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Receives Transformative Gift from Collector Wan-go Weng
BOSTON (December 13, 2018)—The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), announces today that it has received the largest and most significant gift of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in the Museum’s history: the Wan-go H. C. Weng (翁萬戈) Collection, comprising 183 objects that were acquired by and passed down through six generations of a single family. The donation was made by Wan-go H. C. Weng—one of the most respected collectors and connoisseurs of Chinese painting in the world—and his family. Weng’s great-great-grandfather Weng Tonghe (翁同龢) assembled the core of the collection during the 19th century.
The Weng Collection is considered among the greatest private holdings of Chinese art in the U.S., distinguished for its superb quality, abundance of work by the great masters of Chinese art, fine condition and well-documented provenance. Encompassing 130 paintings, 31 works of calligraphy, 18 ink rubbings and four textiles, the gift spans 13 centuries and five imperial dynasties. Particularly rich in representation of art from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) eras, the collection complements the MFA’s unparalleled and internationally renowned holdings of masterpieces from the earlier Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1279–1368) dynasties. Weng has been a longtime supporter of the Museum. He has donated 21 additional works to the MFA within the last decade—including the 53-foot-long scroll 10,000 Miles along the Yangzi River (1699, Wang Hui), given in honor of his 100th birthday and displayed in a solo exhibition that was on view from July through September 2018. His most recent donation further elevates the Museum’s Chinese paintings collection into one of the foremost outside of China. An exhibition of highlights from the Weng Collection will go on view at the MFA in fall 2019.
“On rare occasions, there are gifts to museums that have the ability to transform collections. This is one of those truly remarkable moments,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director. “This collection represents a range of artworks—dynamically painted landscapes and flowers, depictions of great and legendary figures from Chinese cultural history, and expressive, poetic works of calligraphy—that will beautifully complement the MFA’s existing masterpieces. We are grateful for Mr. Weng’s tireless research and dedication to scholarship, and are committed to sharing his extraordinary collection with future generations.”
The Weng Collection is remarkable not only for its masterpieces of brush and ink spanning 1,300 years, but also its unique journey to the MFA, having been assembled by and passed down through one of China’s most notable families. The scholar and connoisseur Weng Tonghe (1830–1904), who acquired the greater part of the collection, was a preeminent figure in 19th-century China. He held some of the highest positions in government, including tutor to two of the last emperors of the Qing dynasty. Passed down from father to son through six generations, the collection has most recently been cared for by Wan-go Weng (born 1918), who moved to the U.S. in 1938. An accomplished filmmaker, poet, historian and artist, Weng is a modern-day Renaissance man who has devoted himself to the preservation and study of China’s cultural heritage.
“I started looking at Chinese paintings very early on. My whole life is connected to Chinese paintings and calligraphy,” said Weng. “The first museum I ever visited in the U.S. was the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and it became my museum. I am so happy that both collections are together now—it’s almost like destiny.”
Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Another Look at National Treasures: Select Masterpieces of Painting and Calligraphy
Last year, the National Palace Museum in Taipei organized a special exhibition of “National Treasures: Select Masterpieces of Painting and Calligraphy.” Due to popular demand, the Museum is once again holding this exhibition at its northern branch with a completely new rotation of works under the title of “Another Look at National Treasures: Select Masterpieces of Painting and Calligraphy.” On display in Gallery 210, this year’s exhibit includes a total of 26 works of painting and calligraphy in the “National Treasure” category by such masters as Wang Xizhi (303–361) of the Eastern Jin dynasty; Yan Liben (?–673), Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji, 685–762), and Xu Hao (703–782) of the Tang; Fan Kuan (ca. 950–ca. 1031), Yi Yuanji (latter half of the 11th c.), Su Shi (1037–1101), Mi Fu (1051–1107), Emperor Gaozong (Zhao Gou, 1107–1187), Xiao Zhao (12th c.), Xia Gui (fl. 1195–1224), and Ma Lin (fl. 1195–1264) of the Song; Wu Yuanzhi (fl. 1149–1189) of the Jin; and Xianyu Shu (1246–1302) and Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) of the Yuan. Each work holds a unique place in the history of Chinese art, making this exhibition again a highlight of the year.
The exhibit includes works further classified by the National Palace Museum as “restricted,” meaning they can only be displayed for a brief period of time. These “restricted” works have therefore been further divided into two rotations, the first one from October 4 to November 14 and the second from November 15 to December 25. Such a major presentation of masterpieces is an event not to be missed, offering audiences a rare opportunity to appreciate the beauty and significance of national treasures of Chinese art in greater detail.
The exhibition is through December 25, 2018. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is open all year round from 8:30 to 18:30, or 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhishan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan
Source: National Palace Museum
Wang Xizhi: Three Passages
Su Shi: Two Passages
Xia Gui: Pure and Remote View of Streams and Hills
Wu Yuanzhi: Red Cliff
Zhao Mengfu: Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains
Dong Yuan: Riverbank
Riverbank (溪岸圖)
Dong Yuan (董源, ?–962), Five Dynasties Period (907–960)
Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 220.3 x 109.2 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
