Illustrations and Insights: A Record of Paintings and Succession

Author: Mi Tian Shui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Guo Ruoxu's Record of Famous Paintings and Deng Chong's A Continuation of the Record of Famous Paintings are two important art history works from the Song Dynasty. Guo Ruoxu—whose birth and death years are unknown, and who was from Taiyuan, Shanxi—was a renowned art historian and critic of the Song Dynasty, succeeding Zhang Yanyuan. Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty wrote A Record of Famous Paintings Throughout the Ages, which scholars compared to the Records of the Grand Historian in the field of art history. Guo Ruoxu's Record of Famous Paintings, on the other hand, can be compared to the Book of Han. Guo Ruoxu's theories on painting art, built upon the foundation of Zhang Yanyuan's theories, also brought new developments. They reflected the new achievements in artistic creation in Chinese painting from the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Northern Song Dynasty. At the same time, they provided a comprehensive and in-depth summary of the development of painting art in the early Northern Song Dynasty, exerting significant influence on the history of Chinese painting and aesthetics. Guo Ruoxu's great-grandfather, Guo Hui, was a general of the Later Zhou Dynasty, and his great-great-grandfather, Guo Shouwen, was a high-ranking official of the early Northern Song Dynasty. Initially serving as an officer in Xixing, he later held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expeditionary Corps and was posthumously granted the title of Grand Attendant and the title of Prince of Qiao. As for Guo Ruoxu's father, records are silent, only noting that he held the rank of "Young Official" and was skilled in painting appreciation. Guo Ruoxu's life story is relatively brief in the records. According to Wang Gui's Huayang Collection·Epitaph for the Posthumous Enfeoffment of the Duke of Dongping as the Duke of Xiang, Guo Ruoxu was the of Zhao Yunbi, the Duke of Xiang, a descendant of the Song imperial family, and married the fourth daughter of the Duke of Xiang, the Princess of Yong'an. In the third year of Emperor Shenzong's Xining era (1070), Guo Ruoxu served as an officer in the Supply Depot. In the winter of the fourth year (1071), he was appointed as the reception officer for the Liao Dynasty envoy, engaging in lively discussions on painting and calligraphy with Xing Xirou, the deputy envoy of the Liao Dynasty. Later, he served as the Deputy Officer of the Left Treasury in the Western Army. In the seventh year of the Xining era (1074), Guo Ruoxu was appointed as the deputy envoy for the New Year celebration in the Liao Dynasty. The following year, due to the loss of gold wine vessels and the escape of his attendants while on a mission to the Liao Dynasty, he was demoted by one rank. His later life remains unclear. Guo Ruoxu was deeply fond of painting art throughout his life, particularly excelling in painting theory and principles, and his achievements are most evident in his classic work Record of Famous Paintings. Deng Chong, styled Gongshou, was from Shuangliu, Shu Prefecture, and served as a Tongpan. His grandfather, Deng Xunwu, often held the position of Chief of the Bureau of Military Affairs and was highly dedicated to the study of painting. His father, Deng Yong, served as a minister and director, overseeing the repair of palaces and gaining access to numerous murals by Guo Xi. His family's extensive collection, combined with his own service as an official during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, allowed him to witness famous paintings of the time, leading him to write the book A Continuation of the Record of Famous Paintings.