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The Heart of Ma Yuan the Search for a Southern Song Aesthetic

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The Heart of Ma Yuan the Search for a Southern Song Aesthetic The Heart of Ma Yuan The Search for a Southern Song Aesthetic Richard Edwards This publication has been generously supported by the Sir Y.K. Pao Publication Fund for publications in Chinese art and architecture. Hong Kong University Press 14/F Hing Wai Centre 7 Tin Wan Praya Road Aberdeen Hong Kong www.hkupress.org © Hong Kong University Press 2011 ISBN 978-988-8028-65-8 All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue copy for this book is available from the British Library. Printed and bound by Kings Time Printing Press Ltd. in Hong Kong, China Contents List of Plates vi List of Figures xiv Preface xxviii Acknowledgments xxxii Introduction: Ma Yuan’s Family, Patrons, and Style 1 1 Winter 11 2 Winter into Spring 45 3 The Seasons Extended: Flowers 57 4 Water 89 5 Portraits: Buddhists 107 6 Portraits: Confucian and Daoist 129 7 The Wider Environment and into Landscape 199 8 Transformations 229 Postface 295 Bibliography 299 Index 315 vi List of Plates List of Plates 1 Ma Yuan, Chinese, 1190–1235 4a Unidentified artist, Chinese Thru Snow Mountains at Dawn (Xiaoxue shan Sakyamuni Emerging from the Mountain xing tu) Hanging scroll; ink on paper Album leaf; ink on silk with touches of white 92 x 31.7cm 27.6 x 40 cm Colophon by Xiyan Liaohui Signed “Ma Yuan” Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Washington D.C.: Purchase, F1965.9 2a Ma Lin, Chinese, active ca. 1220–1260 4b Liang Kai, Chinese, active early 13th century Lake View with Palace Lady Riding a Deer Sakyamuni Emerging from the Mountain Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, second quarter of Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk the 13th century 119 x 52 cm Album leaf; ink and color on silk Inscription by the artist 25.2 x 26.3 cm (9-15/16 x 10-3/8 in.) National Museum, Tokyo Signed “Chen Ma Lin” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 5 Ma Yuan Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 28.837a Fisherman on a Winter River Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk 2b Emperor Lizong, Chinese, r. 1225–1264 26.8 x 50.3 cm Calligraphy of a Quatrain in Semi-Cursive and National Museum, Tokyo Regular Scripts Poem by Cao Tang (9th century) 6a Ma Yuan Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, second quarter of Egrets in Winter (Xuetan shuang lu) the 13th century Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk Album leaf; ink on silk 61 x 40.3 cm 25 x 25.8 cm (9-13/16 x 10-3/16 in.) National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 28.837b 6b Unidentified artist, Chinese, late 12th century Egrets in Water Reeds 3 Unidentified artist, Chinese Song dynasty, 960–1279 Portrait of Empress Yang Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and colors on silk Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 9-15/16 x 10-5/16 in. (25.2 x 26.2 cm) 160.3 x 112.8 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, from the Collection National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China of A. W. Bahr, Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1947 (47.18.77) Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art List of Plates vii 7 Ma Yuan Signed “Ma Lin” Mandarin Ducks by a Bamboo Stream Palace Museum, Beijing Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk 61 x 31 cm 14a, b Ma Yuan (copy) Signed “Ma Yuan” The Flowering Plum The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967.145 Possible titles: a. Light Rain; b. Slight Chill Two of six leaves; ink and color on silk 8 Liang Shimin, Chinese, active first quarter 14.2 x 9.5 cm 12th century Signed “Ma Yuan” Lu-Grass Banks in Deep Snow (section) National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Handscroll; ink and color on silk 26.5 x 145.8 cm 15a, b, c, d Ma Yuan comparisons: Selection from Artist’s signed title Moments of the Flowering Plum Palace Museum, Beijing Album of ten leaves; ink and color on silk 20 x 7.3 cm 9 Zhao Lingran, Chinese, late 11th–early 12th Each signed “Chen Ma Yuan” Private Collection, Taipei century Photography by Richard Edwards Summer Mist along the Lakeshore Compared to copies in the National Palace Museum, Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, dated 1100 Taiwan, Republic of China (left to right): A Fine Handscroll; ink and color on silk Moon; Unidentified subject (mirror reverse); Light 19.1 x 161.3 cm (7-1/2 x 63-1/2 in.) Mist? (mirror reverse); Sparse Wattle Fence. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Keith McLeod Fund, 57.724 16 Ma Yuan Scholars Conversing beneath Blossoming Plum 10 Ma Lin, attributed Tree Sparse Shadows, Hidden Fragrance Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, early 13th century Album leaf; ink and color on silk Round fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and light 24.9 x 24.6 cm color on silk National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China 23.4 x 25.2 cm (9-3/16 x 9-15/16 in.) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 11 Song Boren, Chinese Special Chinese and Japanese Fund, 14.62 Manual of Plum Blossom Likenesses, ca. 1238 Two leaves: “Suspended Bell” and “Fan” 17 Ma Yuan Woodblock reprint of 1261 edition Strolling on a Path in Spring (Shanjing chunxing) Block dimensions 15.8 x 10.7 cm Album leaf; ink and light color on silk Zhonghua shuju, Shanghai 27.4 x 43.1 cm Signed “Ma Yuan” 12 Yang Wujiu (Buzhi), Chinese, 1098–1169 National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Four Views of the Flowering Plum: Third View Artist’s inscriptions dated to 1165 18 Unidentified artist, Chinese Handscroll; ink on paper Peach Blossom Chrysanthemum 37.2 x 358.8 cm Round fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color Palace Museum, Beijing on silk 26.5 x 27.5 cm 13 Ma Lin Calligraphy by Empress Wu Layer upon Layer of Icy Silk Tips Palace Museum, Beijing Dated by seals to 1216 Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 101.5 x 49.6 cm viii List of Plates 19 Unidentified artist, Chinese 23 Ma Lin Golden Catkins of the Weeping Willow Evening Album leaf; ink and color on silk Dated to 1254 25.8 x 24.6 cm Hanging scroll (the vertical joining of two square Inscription by Empress Yang album leaves); ink and color on silk Palace Museum, Beijing 51.5 x 27 cm Signed “Chen Ma Lin” 20 Ma Yuan Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Tokyo Apricot Blossoms (Yiyun xianxing) Album leaf; ink and color on silk 24 Chen Rong, Chinese, first half of the 13th 25.8 x 27.3 cm century Signed “Chen Ma Yuan hua” Nine Dragons Inscription by Empress Yang Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, dated 1244 National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Handscroll, sections: opening, middle and end; ink and touches of red on paper 21 Ma Yuan 46.3 x 1096.4 cm (18-1/4 x 431-5/8 in.) Peach Blossoms Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Album leaf; ink and color on silk Francis Gardner Curtis Fund, 17.1697 25.8 x 27.3 cm Inscription by Empress Yang 25a Unidentified artist, Chinese National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Twenty Views of Water Section: The Yellow River 22 Ma Yuan Handscroll; ink and light color on silk Water 25.8 x 801 cm Seal-dated to 1222 National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Twelve album leaves mounted as a handscroll; ink and slight color on silk 25b Dong Bangda, Chinese, 1699–1769 Each 26.8 x 41.6 cm Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang, after Ma Palace Museum, Beijing Yuan: Night Rain Handscroll section; ink and color on paper Order of handscroll rearranged by author per 23.4 x 526 cm colophon information: Collection unknown; former Wong Nan-p’ing Family Title: Li Dongyang (1477–1516) Collection 22a: Clouds Born of the Vast Blue Sea Reproduced with permission: The Jade Studio: Masterpieces of Ming and Qing Painting and Calligraphy 22b: Layers of Waves, Towering Breakers from the Wong Nan-p’ing Collection. New Haven: Yale 22c: The Yangtze River — Boundless Expanse University Art Gallery, 1994, plate 71, pp. 228–29. 22d: Lake Glow — Rain Suffused 22e: Winter Pool, Clear and Shoal 26a Ma Yuan 22f: A Rising Sun Warms the Mountains Dongshan Liangjie Crossing the Water 22g: Clouds Unfurling, a Wave Breaking Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 22h: Waves Weave Winds of Gold (half preserved) 77.6 x 33 cm 22i: Light Breeze over Lake Dongting National Museum, Tokyo 22j: Autumn Waters — Waves Ever Returning 26b Ma Yuan 22k: Gossamer Waves — Drifting, Drifting Yunmen Wenyan and His Teacher Xuefeng Yicun 22l: The Yellow River — Churning Currents Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 22 Colophons 79.4 x 33 cm Tenryū-ji, Kyoto Reproduced with the permission of Tenryū-ji, Kyoto, Japan List of Plates ix 26c Ma Yuan Confucius Instructing 72 Disciples Fayan Wenyi and His Teacher Luohan Guichen Dated to 1156 Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk Confucian Temple (Kong Miao), Hangzhou 79.2 x 33 cm Photo composite by Patrick Young Tenryū-ji, Kyoto Reproduced with the permission of Tenryū-ji, Kyoto, 31 Ma Yuan, formerly attributed Japan Confucius’ Encounter with the Hermit Rong Qiqi 27 Liang Kai Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, second half of the Scholar of the Eastern Fence: Tao Yuanming 12th century Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk Round fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and light 71.5 x 36.7 cm color on silk Signed “Liang Kai” 24.8 x 25.3 cm (9-3/4 x 9-15/16 in.) National Palace Museum, Taiwan, Republic of China Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Special Chinese and Japanese Fund, 14.63 28 Ma Gongxian, Chinese, active ca.
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