Wintry Mountains
by Gong Xian (Qing Dynasty, 1619 - 1689)
Painting
Gong Xian was a Chinese landscape painter, widely considered the most important of the Eight Masters of Nanjing. As a youth, he engaged in anti-government political activities and ultimately was forced to flee for his life. His escape led him to a humble rural farming community where he would spend the rest of his days, supporting himself as a painter. In Wintry Mountains, Gong Xian uses a vertically hanging scroll to capture the feeling of growth as the mountains around him reached for the heavens. Accompanying the painting was a poem that describes those people he considered heroes… the humble villagers with whom he shared his life.
"Farmers, cowherds, fishermen, and woodcutters—where do
they make their homes?
In huts thatched with yellow reeds among mountains
and streams.
Work completed, they return together and get drunk;
Jugs and cups filled with wine; there is no need for credit."
Page created on 8/13/2014 12:50:25 PM
Last edited 8/13/2014 12:50:25 PM