Wintry Trees

• Artist

  Wen Zhengming - a literati painter, which is associated with refined scholarly taste.
• Style

  Landscape artwork
• Date

  1543
• Medium + why

  Hanging scroll, using ink on paper. Unlike western tradition, landscape artworks in Chinese culture are deemed to be positioned high on the hierarchy of genres
• What did the artist primarily focus on? To create what? Where did ideas come from? Challenging what?

  Ideal, symbolic, natural environments, creating a “mind landscape” in which his ideas did not come from observations, but rather Zhengming himself, challenging traditional western views on art.
• Critical text

  art “became a means of conveying the inner landscape of the artist’s heart and mind.” (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York)
• Give a composition point about depth - centre tree + stream + rocks

  Point: Artwork depicts no focal point

  
  

  Reasoning: Yet single pine tree in centre, as well as meandering stream that flows from immediate foreground to background helps the viewer’s eye into the scene.

  
  

  Effect: Creating sense of depth within the flat surface

  
• Give composition point about depth - scale of rocks

  Point: This can also be depicted through the diminution of scale of the rocks positioned within the stream as well
• Give composition point about lack of human figures + serene & link to context

  Point: No sign of human existence & and landscape represented as serene (shown through use of minimalism).

  
  

  Reasoning: Relate to belief system of Daoism, in which nature should be allowed to exist as much as possible without human intervention to emphasise harmony within natural world.
• Give composition point about vertical emphasis & link to purpose

  Point: Exhibits vertical emphasis

  
  

  Reasoning: Through tall, narrow format of scroll medium, placement of calligraphy, seals at top of artwork and skeletal-like thickness of repeated pine trees as well.

  
  

  Effect (1)+ intension: Indicate artwork is pointing heavenward, relating to intension (indicated by inscription), in which Zhengming produced it at time of personal loss due to death of wife in 1542, to give to friend Li Cheng due to his visit of condolence.

  
  

  Effect (2): Increase a sense of sombre within the piece.

  
• Give colour & MTP point about palette + technique

  Point: Uses extremely limited colour palette.

  
  

  Reasoning: Only including monochromatic colour of ink (reminiscent of calligraphy), in which the dry application of thin lines of ink creates sense of bareness.

  
  

  Effect: Lack of colour would helps to accentuate the effects of winter on nature - pay tribute to Zhengming deceased wife - create a melancholic atmosphere.
• Give conclusion

  Zhengming’s success as literati painter depicting nature as a reflection of human emotion is revealed through the fact that his work was owned by the Chinese Emperor in the 18th century, which can be shown through one of the multiple seals placed onto the scroll, displaying the significance of this artwork within Chinese culture.