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20 | Tuesday, December 18, 2018 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Landscape paintings by Ming Dynasty (1368­1644) artist Dong Qichang in the manner of old masters are among the pieces on show at the ongoing exhibition in Shanghai. PHOTOS BY GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY Imperial splash A large­scale exhibition celebrates the life and art of Dong Qichang, Zhang Kun reports in Shanghai. ne of the most important figures in list of artworks that I considered important Chinese art history, Dong Qichang and relevant for the exhibition.” (1555­1636), is being presented in a Shanghai Museum managed to borrow large­scale exhibition at Shanghai more than 40 important paintings and callig­ OMuseum. raphy pieces from the other 15 museums and The Ferryman of Ink World: Dong cultural institutions. Qichang’s Calligraphy and Painting Art con­ Among the most celebrated works is The sists of 154 paintings and calligraphy works, Remaining Mountains, borrowed from the partly from the museum’s own collection and Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou. partly borrowed from 15 other museums and One of the few surviving works by painter cultural institutions, including the Palace Huang Gongwang (1269­1354), Dwelling in Museum in Beijing, New York’s Metropolitan the Fuchun Mountains, was burned in 1650. Museum of Art and the Tokyo National Muse­ Today, one part is kept at the Taipei Palace um. Museum in Taiwan, while the other — The This is the largest exhibition of Dong’s Remaining Mountains — is stored at the Zhe­ works on the Chinese mainland, according jiang Provincial Museum. to Yang Zhigang, director of Shanghai Muse­ “Some important artworks, such as The um. Remaining Mountains, are very fragile and Dong was born to a poor­but­learned family cannot be exhibited for more than a few in Huating in today’s Shanghai. He passed the weeks,” Yang says. imperial examination and worked in a series Because of Dong’s influence on Chinese art of government positions starting from age 35. history, his works coexisted with forgeries, During his career as an artist, which lasted even during his lifetime. until he turned 80, Dong made great efforts in Later on, artists went on to follow his style exploring traditional Chinese art, collecting A visitor stops at one of the exhibition’s most­celebrated works, The Remaining and techniques, and a lot of paintings were calligraphy and paintings. Mountains. The other half of the painting, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, by mistakenly considered Dong’s creations. This Dong is now widely known for his art theo­ Huang Gongwang (1269­1354) is kept at the Taipei Palace Museum in Taiwan. has brought great challenges to the connois­ ries. He divided Chinese painting into north­ seurship of Dong’s works. The exhibition ern and southern schools, traced their highlights some details and proof that helped historical lineage and analyzed their aesthetic praised by both critics and emperors after his in the late Ming (1368­1644) and early Qing academics decide whether a painting was advantages. death at age 82. (1644­1911) dynasties. His artistic theories Dong’s. He emphasized the moral power and spiri­ Other exhibits include works by important dominated the tone and principles for long Due to the fragility of some artworks, they tual heights of artists, especially literati art. artists and calligraphers before him, who after that, says Ling Lizhong, head of the art can be displayed only for 45 days and then will He also studied and analyzed Chinese ink­ made great impact on his art, and those by lat­ department of Shanghai Museum, who is be replaced by other works. and­brush painting. er artists under his influence, according to also the curator of the exhibition. “If you want to experience the complete Through his creation, Dong showed that he Yang. While preparing for the exhibition, Ling exhibition, you will have to make a total of had learned from previous masters and devel­ “We hope to create a panoramic exhibi­ made a list of all the works he wanted to show four visits,” says Yang. oped his own style and methodology to tion that presents the artist and his ideas in like a child writing to Santa Claus. The exhibition runs through March 10. become the leader of the Huating school. His the context of the art history (of imperial “I didn’t think about whether it was possi­ artworks were widely sought after during his China).” ble to borrow these treasures and exhibit Contact the writer at lifetime. His artistic achievements were Dong was by far the most influential figure them in Shanghai. I just jotted down a dream [email protected].

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