Monk of Longmen in Ni Zan Style
Wan Shanglin Chinese
Not on view
The canon of approved painting styles set down by Dong Qichang (1555–1636) in the late Ming continued to influence artists through the opening years of the 19th century. Wan Shanglin's model is Ni Zan (1301–1374), the ultimate man of letters, and Wan's smoky ink and sensitive brushline are a respectable homage.
Wan's inscription on this painting however, reveals a spirit characteristic of the 19th century, one that questioned the authenticity of accepted classics in literature, morals, history and painting. Wan writes that for eight or nine years he studied two paintings of the Longmen monk purported to be by Ni Zan and was still unable to decide whether they were genuine. His own painting he says, is done from memory of the two pictures. By implication, his version must be judged by its own quality, for fidelity to a copy, even of an orthodox master, would be of little importance.
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