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Landscape after Ni Zan

Wang Yuanqi

1707

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Qing Painting 18th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Landscape after Ni Zan is a 1707 unspecified by Wang Yuanqi, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Wang Yuanqi
When & what style?: 1707 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

Here’s the painting: tall green pines stand beside a quiet cottage. A low stone wall wraps around a garden. Mist drifts over the water below. Wang copied Ni Zan’s ink style but added pale green and brown washes. This makes the scene feel both old and fresh. The trees look soft under the color glaze. It’s a great example of Qing dynasty copying with a twist. See it at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The story of this work

Overview

Wang Yuanqi, an official in Emperor Kangxi’s (reigned 1662–1722) court, grew up in an artistic family. Like other mainstream painters of the Orthodox School, he followed a canon of earlier styles and artists endorsed by Ming calligrapher Dong Qichang (1555–1636). Here, Wang drew inspiration from Ni Zan (1301–1374), a Yuan dynasty painter known for his simple compositions and spare use of ink. Master Ni seldom used color, but Wang added green and ochre washes to the trees, cottages, and hills in this landscape. Painting was a way for Wang to relieve the pressures of his official duties.

Read the full account in the museum source.