Landscape in the style of Huang Gongwang
Mo Shilong Chinese
Not on view
This large hanging scroll shows Mo Shilong struggling to achieve a strong sense of three-dimensional form. Piling up hummock and plateau motifs of the Yuan master Huang Gongwang (1269–1354) into a few interlocking units, Mo built a mountain ridge line that stands solidly within the picture frame.
Mo Shilong's career was cut short by his early death, and it was his brilliant friend Dong Qichang (1555–1636) whose paintings and critical writings ultimately defined a new orthodox canon in scholar-amateur painting. This scroll supports Mo's significant contribution to Dong's revolutionary new style. An inscription by the contemporary connoisseur Chen Jiru makes clear how deeply Mo's vision impressed his contemporaries:
Mo Shilong's calligraphy and painting brought about a revival of those arts in our district. Even Dong Qichang was one of those who followed him.
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