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Outing to Zhang Gong's Grotto

ca. 1700
Not on view
Zhang Gong's grotto, a famous scenic spot and once the abode of Zhang Daoling (Zhang Gong; 2nd century A.D.), a patriarch of the Daoist church, is located near Lake Tai in Jiangsu Province, not far from the pottery center of Yixing. According to Daoist beliefs, such grottoes are wellsprings of nature's creative force and offer the potential for rejuvenation and renewal.

Shitao's painting of the grotto, done at the peak of his artistic powers, about 1700, is one of his most sumptuous masterpieces. Following an earlier composition by Shen Zhou (1427–1509), Shitao painted as if he were reenacting the cosmic process of creation: by building up layers of energized brushwork in flowery hues of sky blue, pale green, orange, and fuchsia, he transformed Shen Zhou's topographical likeness into a glowing image redolent of nature's procreative power. In a long poem at the end of the scroll, Shitao acknowledges the mystical Daoist attributes of the cave and playfully suggests that through his art he has captured both the cave and its creative force.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清 石濤(朱若極) 遊張公洞圖 卷
  • Title: Outing to Zhang Gong's Grotto
  • Artist: Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) (Chinese, 1642–1707)
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
  • Date: ca. 1700
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 18 1/16 x 112 3/4 in. (45.9 x 286.4 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 18 7/16 x 363 11/16 in. (46.8 x 923.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.126
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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(Copy after) The Sixteen Luohans, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese, Handscroll; ink on paper, China
(Copy after) The Sixteen Luohans
Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)
19th–early 20th century
Five poems, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese, Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on paper, China
Five poems
Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)
ca. 1700
Landscapes of the Four Seasons, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese, Album of eight leaves; ink and color on paper, China
Landscapes of the Four Seasons
Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)
Wilderness Colors, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese, Album of twelve paintings; ink and color on paper, China
Wilderness Colors
Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)
ca. 1700
Landscape, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese, Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on gold-flecked paper, China
Landscape
Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)
dated 1699

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