Artwork Page for The Enlightened Stone Retreat, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou

Details / Information for The Enlightened Stone Retreat, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou

Series Title: 虎丘十二景圖

The Enlightened Stone Retreat, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou

after 1490

Shen Zhou 沈周

(Chinese, 1427–1509)
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Culture
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Medium
Album leaf; ink on paper or ink and slight color on paper
Measurements
Image: 31.2 x 40.8 cm (12 5/16 x 16 1/16 in.); Overall: 36.5 x 49.9 cm (14 3/8 x 19 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1964.371.4
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Views of Tiger Hill depicts a historic site a few miles northwest of Suzhou. The scenes simulate a visit from arriving by boat at the foot of the mountain to climbing to Cloudy Cliff Monastery. Representations of the artist’s mature style, Shen Zhou included views in subtle colors in the suite of monochrome scenes.

A Suzhou native, Shen Zhou was supported by family wealth and rejected an official career in favor of life as a retired scholar. Turning to painting in midlife, he is regarded as the founder of the Wu School of painting, with its center in Suzhou.
A horizontal ink painting depicts buildings with tiled roofs rising above an arched bridge. Expressive dots and streaks form foliage on trees beside four figures standing near a high stone wall with a staircase. To the right, vertical rock formations reach toward the top edge, flanked by soft washes of distant hills. Two red square seals mark the bottom right corner of the light gray paper.

The Enlightened Stone Retreat, from Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou

after 1490

Shen Zhou

(Chinese, 1427–1509)
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

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