Multiple Forms of Reclusion

The different forms of seclusion in paintings reveal the artists' thoughts and attitude towards "reclusion." Purity and isolation abound in Ni Zan's "Riverside Pavilion by Mountains", reflecting the artist's rejection of the real world and his life of reclusion. The rising range of repeated peaks in Wu Zhen's "A Mountain among Mountains" creates abstract forms that likewise reflect the solitary soul of the artist. The abbreviation and simplicity of Qian Xuan's "Autumn Melons" offers another form of introversion that hints at a basic schism between lyricism and beauty.

The spread out and rhythmical composition of Huang Gongwang's "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" offers order and structure to the life of reclusion. Simple and repeated shapes gradually come together and dissipate to form a complex concept that the artist enlivened using abbreviation and simplicity in style and life. The layer upon layer of undulating strokes and mountain forms in Wang Meng's "Fishing in Reclusion at Cha-hsi" turn the landscape of reclusion into an organic mass. The intricate and convoluted forms in Leng Qian's "Mount Baiyue" create a dramatic landscape differing from most others. The landscapes of the artist-recluse are orderly, peaceful, natural, and an expression of consciousness, providing a personal language that accurately describes their inner world.