In 1974, a tomb of Khitan noblewomen in the Liao Dynasty unearthed two scrolls of landscape and flowers and birds, one of which was the "Deep Mountain Chess Chart" that has attracted much attention from scholars. "Deep Mountain Chess Diagram" is the most reliable early vertical axis landscape painting work found so far, and its landscape painting appearance is close to the Style of Central Plains Landscape Painting represented by Jing Hao and Guan Tong in the early Five Dynasties of the Northern Song Dynasty.
A few days ago, this "Deep Mountain Chess Map" was exhibited at the Liaoning Provincial Museum's opening annual exhibition "Picturesque Rivers and Mountains - Liaoning Provincial Museum Collection of Ancient Chinese Vertical Axis Landscape Paintings", along with the Song Dynasty Ma Yuan's "Song Shou Tu", the Yuan Dynasty Anon.'s "Bian Zhou Proud Eye Map", the Ming Dynasty Shen Zhou's "Wei Garden Ya Collection Map", the Ming Dynasty Tang Yin's "Thatched Futon Map" and a total of 66 fine vertical axis landscape paintings.
Exhibition site
Vertical axis landscape painting is different from the hand-scrolled landscape painting section by section of the appreciation method, the viewer will suddenly open up to the vertical axis picture, under the panoramic view, with the line of sight "through" between the various colors, immersive in the world of landscape painting to feel the harmony of life.
Liao Dynasty Anon. Deep Mountain Chess Chart
One of the landscape paintings on the vertical axis in this exhibition has attracted the attention of the academic community. The painting is green and heavy in color, and the color is bright as new. The upper part of the cliff is steep and covered with white clouds; there is a pine forest pavilion between the central cliffs, and the two people with painted clothes and belts in front of the pavilion are sitting on the open ground facing each other on the cliff, and another child servant is waiting; there is a tunnel below the cliff, and the front door is opened, and outside the door there is a wide robe and a large sleeve, wearing a high crown, and the staff walks toward the tunnel, followed by two child servants, the former carrying a thing, which seems to be a wine gourd, and the latter bears a piano bag. The whole picture gives people a sense of detachment.
Since there is neither the author's name nor the collection seal in the painting, archaeologists generally call the two paintings "landscape" and "flowers and birds" according to the types of subject matter, which is naturally out of a safe consideration. However, as far as this landscape is concerned, it is obviously an extraordinary painting depicting nature, and the relevant experts have named it "Deep Mountain Chess Map" based on the activities of the characters in the painting.
Liao Dynasty Anon. Deep Mountain Chess Diagram (Partial)
Regarding the theme, style, age and attribution of the author of this painting, Yang Renkai believes that this work has the characteristics of the Northern Song Dynasty Li Cheng's "upward painting cornice" in the architectural painting method, the tree painting method is consistent with the characteristics of Dong Yuan and Juran in Jiangnan in the five dynasties, the cliff stone imitation is similar to the Southern Tang Weixian's "Gao Shi Tu", and the pen has a strong nature, and its creation date was when it was in the liao taizong meeting three years to the eighteenth year of Muzong's calendar, that is, around 940 to 968 AD, showing the "mountain forest seclusion" of the Han scholar class. In addition, Suzuki believes that the building in the painting is a temple. Li Qingquan proposed that the rear of the Huiqi people depicted a deep mansion compound with a gallery, and the Han-style mansion buildings depicted in Song works such as "Wen Ji Gui Han Tu" of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston are all of this form.
Song Dynasty Ma Yuan Song Shou Tu
Yuan Dynasty Anon. Bian Zhou Proud Eye Chart
Starting from the Analects of "The Knower Enjoys Water, the Benevolent One Enjoys The Mountain", Chinese have a rich affection for the landscape. The joy of landscape is a plain and innocent elegant feeling; the joy of landscape is the yearning of the peach blossom source in people's hearts; the joy of landscape is the calm intuition of "the unity of heaven and man". The ancients spoke of poetry with poetry, but they revealed their true disposition in their paintings, so landscape painting has become an important artistic carrier of the essence of traditional Chinese cultural thought. Since the maturity and perfection of Chinese landscape painting in the early Song Dynasty of the Fifth Dynasty, it has gradually become the most important lineage of Chinese painting.
Ming Dynasty Shen Zhou Wei Garden Ya Collection Map
Ming Dynasty Wen Boren Songquan Yishi tu
Ming Dynasty Xiang Shengmu Linxia Qing Tan Tu
Ming Dynasty Dai Jin Xitang poetic intention
Ming Dynasty Tang Yin Thatched House Futon Diagram
In this exhibition, the calligraphy and paintings of the Ming and Qing dynasties account for a large proportion, including Dai Jin's "Poetic Intentions of Xitang" of the Ming Dynasty, Lü Ji's "Taolin Gathering Bird Map" of the Ming Dynasty, Shen Zhou's "Wei Garden Ya Collection Map" of the Ming Dynasty, Tang Yin's "Thatched House Futon Map" of the Ming Dynasty, Wen Boren's "Songfeng GaoshiTu" of the Ming Dynasty, Xiang Shengmu's "Linxia Qing Tan Tu" of the Ming Dynasty, Lan Ying's "Mountain Pavilion Yanqiu Map" of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yuanqi's "Imitation of Huang Gongwang Landscape Map" of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Yi's "Antique Four Seasons Map" (4 pieces), Qing Dynasty Wu Li's "Nanyue Songyun Map", Qing Dynasty Mei Qing's "Qing Dynasty Meiqing's "Landscape Map of Imitation Huang Gongwang", Qing Dynasty Wang Yi's "Antique Four Seasons Map" (4 pieces), Qing Dynasty Wu Li's "Nanyue Songyun Map", Qing Dynasty Meiqing's "Qing Dynasty". Wangtiandu Peak Map", Shi Tao's "Lonely Boat Waterfall Map" in the Qing Dynasty, etc.
Qing Dynasty Dong Bang Da Xia Shan Estate Guo Tu
Qing Dynasty Wang Yuanqi Early Spring In the Mountains
Qing Dynasty Anon. Qingyan Accord Chart
Qing Dynasty Shen Zongqian Famous Mountain Reading Map
Qing Dynasty Dai Xi Xutang LeZhitu
Qing Dynasty Pan Liang Xishan reading map
Qing Dynasty Wendian Stop Boat Talk Old Picture
The rich collection of ancient paintings in the Liaoning Provincial Museum is an important part of Liaoning's cultural heritage, according to the organizers, "This time we have selected the collection of fine ancient vertical axis landscape paintings to gather for an exhibition to show the unique artistic connotation and charm of ancient vertical axis landscape paintings." Through this exhibition, we perceive that landscape is an important part of the community of life, so as to further appreciate the Chinese nation's "unity of heaven and man" view of nature and cosmology. ”
It is reported that the exhibition will be on display until April 10, 2022.