Pictorial Songs of the Brush: A Guide to Paintings in the National Palace Museum Collection (2024-I

Qian Xuan, Song dynasty

Qian Xuan (1239-ca. 1301), a native of Wuxing in Zhejiang province, had the style name Shunju and the sobriquet “Fellow from Zha River” (Zhaxi Weng). A talented painter of human figures, landscapes, and works in the flowers-and-birds genre, he is listed along with Zhao Mengfu as one of the “Eight Luminaries of Wuxing.”

This painting depicts two peonies, one red and one white. The rippling outlines of their petals and leaves are filled with detail. The way in which they are set off by the web-like veins running through the leaves creates a realistic, complex visual effect. The work’s muted coloration not only dampens the contrast between the blossoms and the leaves, but also strips the piece of its sense of dimensionality, instead flattening the image in a way that strengthens its aura of seemingly being at once ancient and contemporary, and somehow transcending reality. As Qian signed this work using his sobriquet, Zhaxi Weng, it can be ascertained that it is an outstanding work from his later years.

Guo Bi, Yuan dynasty

Guo Bi, who had the style name Tianxi and the sobriquet Tuisi, was from the area presently located in Dantu County in Jiangsu province. He learned calligraphy and painting with Zhao Mengfu (1286-1319) and Gao Kegong (1248-1310).

This painting depicts an islet on a river in the depths of winter, where stalks of emerald bamboo stand undaunted by the cold. The trees, bamboo, and stones were rendered with brush and ink using brushwork that is wholly derivative of Zhao Mengfu’s painting. The overall composition is complex but not chaotic, with methodically delineated layering and a high degree of accuracy in its portrayals. The background was painted with ink washes, while negative space was used to create the snow—this approach yields a visual scene that manifests a sense of emptiness, distance, and silent desolation. Although the clusters of bamboo are weighed down by the snow built up upon them, they actually demonstrate that it is their ability to yield and bend that prevents them from snapping. In comparison to the lonesome tree, the bamboo appears more tenacious and resilient. This painting possesses both realism and deeply poetic meaning.