Nine Dragons

Unidentified artist

Not on view

This painting follows the manner of the most celebrated dragon painter in Chinese history, the scholar-official and Daoist master Chen Rong. Chen famously avoided depicting the complete forms of his dragons, preferring to preserve their mystery by partially obscuring them in mists and clouds. In places, the artist of this work depicts a dragon in its entirety, one of the signs that it is a later painting in Chen’s manner. The inscription at the end is either a copy of an authentic Chen Rong or an outright fabrication.

Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China

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Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China
Nine Dragons, Unidentified artist (16th–17th century), fake signature of Chen Rong, active 1235–62, Handscroll; ink and color on silk, China

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.