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Following the exhibition on the Chinese paintings of Wu School in mid Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Hong Kong Museum of Art is now running another exhibition to feature about 50 pieces of calligraphy and paintings created by artists of Songjiang School, which was led by the master Dong Qichang (1555 - 1636) in the late Ming Dynasty (16th to 17th century). To illustrate the influence of Dong Qichang on modern painters, a selection of works of the modern period is also featured in this exhibition.

The term "Songjiang School" was initially coined by the Suzhou counterparts to represent the style of painting flourished in the Songjiang region (present-day in Shanghai city). Undoubtedly, Dong Qichang is the key figure of this school, other artists include Song Xu (1525 - after 1605), Sun Kehong (1532 - 1611), Mo Shilong (1537 - 1587), Gu Zhengyi (16th to 17th century), Chen Jiru (1558 - 1639), Zhao Zuo (c. 1570 - after 1633) and Shen Shichong (act. c. 1607 - 1640), etc. Art historians and critics had categorised artists of the Songjiang region under different schools like the Susong School, the Huating School and the Yunjian School as the most commonly recognised term "Songjiang School" to represent the active artists in this region during the late Ming period.

During the late Ming period, the dominating Wu School, led by Wen Zhengming (1470 - 1559), was coming to a decline. Dong Qichang, a native of Songjiang, became the most influential figure in Chinese painting and calligraphy and sought to reinvigorate the scholar-amateur tradition and established the aesthetic canons. Dong consolidated his artistic ideas in the theory of the Southern and Northern schools of landscape painting and established the direction for later artists to follow. Borrowing from the model of the southern and northern sects of Zen Buddhism to elaborate the parallel mode of development of Chinese painting, Dong had chosen the lineage of the Song (960 - 1279) and Yuan (1271 - 1368) literati masters as authoritative models for the scholar-amateur tradition (i.e. the Southern School). Generally speaking, the Southern School landscapes, done in free and spontaneous styles, capture the misty and luxuriant appearance of nature and the loosely knitted hemp-fiber texture strokes are commonly employed in the works of this school. On the other hand, the Northern School landscapes, which are usually done in detailed and decorative styles, are inclined to reveal the grand and magnificent aspect of nature, and the sharp and powerful type of texture strokes like the ax-cut strokes are well suited to depict solid mountains.

In the course of history after Dong's time, the list of artists recognised as part of the parallel lineages has been increased or modified. According to the two lists initially proposed by Dong, the Tang dynasty (618 - 907) artists Wang Wei (701 - 761) and Li Sixun (act. ca. 705 - 720) are regarded as the founders of the Southern and Northern schools respectively.

Apart from artists of the Songjiang region, other artists influenced by Dong include "Nine Friends in Painting" who shared the same artistic idea of Dong and inherited the orthodox theory which was transmitted to the Qing dynasty. In the late seventeenth century, the "Four Wangs" pursued Dong's aesthetic canons. The idea of modelling after old masters - mainly painters of the Southern School - was thus disseminated among later artists. Although Dong's theory has undergone critical re-examination by art historians of the modern time, the idea has been continuously reinvigorated by his followers through the centuries and is still influential on Chinese aesthetic theory.

The "Dong Qichang and the Songjiang School of Painting" exhibition at the Museum of Art will run until late January 2002. Exhibits on display are partly on load from the Bei Shan Tang Collection of the Art Museum, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and private collectors.

The Hong Kong Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. It opens from 10am to 6pm daily and closes on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission fee is $10 and half-price concession is applicable to full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

For exhibition details, please call 2721 0116 or visit the Museum of Art's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkma/.

End/Thursday, August 9, 2001

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