Thirty-six Peaks of Mount Huang Recollected

Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese

Not on view

Among the wide range of styles developed by Shitao is this splattered ink technique, which the artist once described as “ten thousand ugly ink dots.” In this monumental work, Shitao re-created the scenery of Yellow Mountain from memory with bold brushstrokes “written” in the robust calligraphic style of Yan Zhenqing (709–785).

For Shitao, the ultimate mountain scenery was represented by the incomparable peaks of Mount Huang, the Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province. Here, the artist recalls himself as the tireless traveler searching for exciting scenery; the seal following his signature reads: “I search out all the strange peaks to make designs [for my paintings].”

Thirty-six Peaks of Mount Huang Recollected, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) (Chinese, 1642–1707), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.