Artwork Page for Mt. Qingbian

Details / Information for Mt. Qingbian

Mt. Qingbian

青弁圖

1617

Dong Qichang 董其昌

(Chinese, 1555–1636)
Culture
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Medium
hanging scroll, ink on paper
Measurements
Painting: 225 x 67.6 cm (88 9/16 x 26 5/8 in.); Overall: 355 x 92.7 cm (139 3/4 x 36 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1980.10
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Dong Qichang had visited the Bian Mountains, which are part of a low range located not far from Wuxing and Lake Tai in the southern province of Zhejiang.

Description

Dong Qichang radically transforms the landscape composition into a purely abstract design. He organizes the mountain forms to achieve an overall sense of structure, activating the flow of energy (qi) and the momentum of force (shi) throughout the pictorial design. In his art, brush and ink assume life independent of the depicted forms, so that the painting can be appreciated for “the sheer marvels of brush and ink.”
A hanging scroll in black and gray ink strokes depicts a rocky mountain rising up into the sky with Chinese calligraphy above (see "Inscriptions"). Trees grow across the mountain, some with spindly branches and individually detailed leaves, particularly at the base. Above, triangular trees are made with dark, horizontal strokes. Clouds snake across the peaks.

Mt. Qingbian

1617

Dong Qichang

(Chinese, 1555–1636)
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

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