Collection of Paintings by the Eight Masters of Jinling

Author: Zhao Chuntang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The painting art of the "Eight Masters of Jinling" had a certain influence on the refugee painters of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, such as Shitao, Kengcan, Cheng Su, and Cheng Zhengkui, who were all to varying degrees inspired or nurtured by the Jinling art scene at the time. After the Kangxi era, with the fading of refugee consciousness, the influence also gradually declined. It was not until the late Qing and early Republican period that it was, especially with the further promotion and development of Gong Xian's "accumulated ink technique," which gave rise to a new generation of ink wash painting masters like Zhang Daqian, Huang Binhong, and Fu Baoshi. They pioneered new horizons for modern ink wash painting while inheriting and promoting the excellent traditional ancient painting traditions, including the "Eight Masters of Jinling." The book is a luxurious octavo hardcover with full-color printing and a presentation box, over 300 pages long. It includes original works by Gong Xian, Fan Qi, Gao Cen, Zou Ji, Wu Hong, Ye Xin, Hu Cao, and Xie Sun.
The "Eight Masters of Jinling" refers to the collective name of eight painters from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties: Gong Xian, Fan Qi, Gao Cen, Zou Ji, Wu Hong, Ye Xin, Hu Zao, and Xie Sun. Their painting subjects and styles varied, but as they all resided in Jinling (now Nanjing, Jiangsu), they gained considerable reputation (with Gong Xian being the most renowned) and were thus collectively called the "Eight Masters of Jinling." This term is mentioned in Zhang Geng's "Record of Paintings of the Current Generation" from the Qing dynasty. Another reference, found in the "Shangyuan County Gazetteer" of the Qianlong era, lists Chen Zhuo, Wu Hong, Fan Qi, Zou Ji, Cai Linren, Li Youli, Wu Dan, and Gao Cen as the "Eight Masters of Jinling." However, the former definition is generally considered more accurate.