Lofty Mount Lu

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Painter: Shen Zhou

Painting Year: the Ming Dynasty

Material: silk scroll

Dimension: vertical length of 193.8 centimeters and horizontal length of 98.1 centimeters Collection Place: the National Palace Museum in Taipei Lofty Mount Lu was painted by Shen Zhou as a birthday gift for his teacher Chen Xing’ an. As Chen Xing’ anwas a native of Jiangxi, Shen Zhou depicted towering Mount Lu to symbolize the teacher’s lofty morality.

This light crimson painting of landscape depicts some famous tourist attractions of Mount Lu, such as Hailongtan Waterfall, Five 0ld-Man Peaks, pine and cloud. In close view,a master dressed in white overlooks the mountain in this painting. This artwork features boundless realm, crossed layers, rich ink colors and orderly variances.

Light crimson painting of landscape is also known as’ painting of landscape in rufous ink.”Its features are introduced as follows: Light crimson color is lightly rendered on the basis of ink painting of landscape.

Followed color should not undermine the charms of original ink. Coloration and brushwork are the same as those in ink painting, which should have pause and transition in rhythm, change in rise and fall, supplementation for black color and play the role of finishing touch. Light crimson can be rendered partly and wholly. Such nethod is suitable to depict autumn 1andscape in desolate atmosphere.

Peaks and rocks are painted with”Fiber-covering Cun”and”Undone-tie Cun”，which are solid and extensive.In mountainside，foating clouds are formed on the basis of left blankness.The painter compared the elevation of Mount Lu to speak higly of the teacher’s morality and academic attaiment，and celebrated the teacher’s birthday with everlasting Five 0ld-Man Peaks.

GeneralKnowledge

Four Painting Masters of the Ming Dynasty

Four Painting Masters of the Ming Dynasty refer to Shen Zhou，Wen Zhengning，Tang Yin and Qiu Ying in the mid Ming Dynasty.They were also Four Painting Masters of Wumen Painting School.Among them，Shen Zhou and Wen Zhengming made greatest achievements in scholar paintings in this painting school.Among their paintings of landscape，ink painting and ink light-colored painting in refned Style and bold style were excellent.Tang Yin

（Tang Bo）was known as”No.1 Romantic Talent in South Region of the Yangtze River”，and he followed elegant style with artistic connotation of scholar painting.Qiu Ying was good at painting with exact delineation and enriched colors，and followed brilliant painting style.

Art Master

Shen Zhou（1427-1509）

Shen Zhou was a fanous painter of the Ming Dynasty, who was a native of Xiangcheng, Changzhou(today’s Wu County, Jiangsu). Born in a family committed to calligraphy and painting, he was good at poetry, calligraphy and painting, in particular painting of landscape and painting of flower and bird. He ranked No.1 among Four

Painting Masters of the Ming Dynasty.This refned and cultured artist had lofty morality.With extensive knowledge and super painting skills，he was great master in Wumen Painting School.

Anecdote

Shen Zhou made inscription for false painting

Shen Zhou had clement character.Heenjoyed great reputation in old age.Someone made false paintings for sale.When Shen Zhou knew about this，he never investigate one day，a poor man imitated Shen Zhou’s painting to get medicine for his sick mother.He wanted to sell at a higher price，so he audaciously asked Shen Zhou to make inscription for imitated painting.Shen Zhou sympathized rather than criticize him，and believed that this man was dutiful son.He affxed his name and seal on this false painting which was not so bad.

Later on，this painting was sold at high price.The poor man’s mother was also cured.