Li Tang · Masters Copying Famous Paintings

Author: Zhou Yanggao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The origin of Chinese landscape painting dates back to the Jin and Tang dynasties, reached maturity in the Five Dynasties and Song dynasties, and was elevated during the Yuan dynasty—this is the consensus in art history and indeed the three major historical stages of the evolution of landscape painting over more than a thousand years. The pivotal figure in the transition from origin to maturity was Jing Hao during the late Tang to Five Dynasties and early Liang period. His achievements not only established landscape painting as the foremost genre among Chinese painting disciplines, known as "landscape as the foremost," but also elevated the monochrome ink style to the highest rank, termed "ink as the ultimate." The significance of monochrome ink landscape painting as a dominant genre in Chinese art actually transcends the artistic category of value orientation, exerting a profound influence on the humanistic spirit of traditional Chinese culture, supporting the spread and growth of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in Chinese thought. In terms of landscape painting itself, its maturity was the maturity of ink techniques, and its elevation was also the elevation of ink techniques. The pivotal figure in the transition from maturity to elevation was Li Tang during the Northern Song to early Southern Song period. Li Tang pushed the texture technique (gǔn fǎ) of landscape painting to its peak complexity, pioneered the technique of side-hold horizontal rubbing, and combined it with dot and line textures. This made the texture technique later called "iron scraping" almost in depicting the texture of rocks and mountains, greatly expanding the originally limited expressive capabilities of monochrome ink. However, after the Southern Expedition, he transformed extreme complexity into extreme simplicity, creating the "edge-and-corner" landscape style of the Southern Song—characterized by vigorous, concise, and clear monochrome ink. This is primarily evident in his work Wanhe Songfeng Tu (Ten Thousand Gorges Pine Wind Scroll), created in the spring of the Jia Chen year of the Xuanhe sixth year. Then, by analyzing the Jiangshan Xiaojing Ju (Small Scenery of Rivers and Mountains Roll), which shows clear exploratory traces before the formation of the iron scraping technique, and finally examining the typical minimalist work Qingxi Fisherman’s Retreat Roll, executed entirely in the fu pi gǔn (axe) technique. Through this approach, a relatively comprehensive understanding of Li Tang’s art and its significant role in art history can be achieved.