Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145 AD), alias Zheng Dao, was a famous Chinese painter during the twelfth century, during the transitional period from the
Northern SongNorthern song is the English title of the popular song of Ruslana, ,Pivnicha....
to the Southern Song Dynasty, and was instrumental in the early history of the Chinese art style known as
shan shuiShan Shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:Shan shui painting first arose to prominence during the...
.
He was a native of Dongwu (present
ZhuchengZhucheng is a county-level city in Weifang prefecture, Shandong Province, China. It has a population of 1.06 million.-History:Zhucheng was originally known as Langya . It was from here that Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu to sail to Japan in 210 BC, in pursuit of the elixir of youth.The Song...
,
ShandongFor the people of Shandong, see Shandong people' is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is Lǔ, after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). There is evidence that he was a
court painterA court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
of the Northern Song Dynasty, and that in the aftermath of that dynasty's fall, his paintings were criticisms of the new dynasty.
Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145 AD), alias Zheng Dao, was a famous Chinese painter during the twelfth century, during the transitional period from the
Northern SongNorthern song is the English title of the popular song of Ruslana, ,Pivnicha....
to the Southern Song Dynasty, and was instrumental in the early history of the Chinese art style known as
shan shuiShan Shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:Shan shui painting first arose to prominence during the...
.
Biography
He was a native of Dongwu (present
ZhuchengZhucheng is a county-level city in Weifang prefecture, Shandong Province, China. It has a population of 1.06 million.-History:Zhucheng was originally known as Langya . It was from here that Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu to sail to Japan in 210 BC, in pursuit of the elixir of youth.The Song...
,
ShandongFor the people of Shandong, see Shandong people' is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is Lǔ, after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). There is evidence that he was a
court painterA court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
of the Northern Song Dynasty, and that in the aftermath of that dynasty's fall, his paintings were criticisms of the new dynasty. Most of what is known about Zhang Zeduan's life comes from a
colophonA colophon, in publishing can refer to:* A brief description, usually located at the end of a book, describing production notes relevant to the edition* A printer's mark or logotype-Production notes:...
written in 1186 by a man named Zhang Zhu.
Zhang Zeduan's most famous painting is
Along the River During Qing Ming Festival, a wide handscroll which depicts life in a city. This painting was made famous throughout China, as an emperor of the
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he had his grandfather Genghis Khan placed on the...
(1279-1368 AD) felt compelled to write a poem on his copy of the painting, writing in praise of it. A popular remake of the painting was made in the 18th century, during the
Qing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912...
.
Historical significance
In terms of historical significance, Zhang's original painting reveals much about life in China during the 12th century. Its myriad depictions of different people interacting with one another reveals the nuances of class structure and the many hardships of urban life as well. It also displays accurate depictions of technological practices found in Song China. For example, it depicts one river ship lowering its bipod mast before passing under the prominent bridge of the painting. It shows ships in two major types, yet all of which have slung
rudderA rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft,or other conveyance that moves through a fluid . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
s for steering; the painting depicts freighters with narrow sterns or passenger boats and smaller craft with broad sterns, sailing upriver or docked along the banks while loading and unloading goods. Large stern sweeps and bow sweeps can be seen on at least three of the river ships, worked by up to eight men each.
See also
- Chinese art
Chinese art is art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art dynasties,...
- Chinese painting
Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental; they consisted of patterns or designs rather than pictures. Stone Age pottery was painted with spirals, zigzags, dots, or animals...
- Shan shui
Shan Shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:Shan shui painting first arose to prominence during the...
- Lin Tinggui
Lin Tinggui was a Chinese painter of the Southern Song Dynasty...
- Zhou Jichang
Zhou Jichang , Japanese: Shuu Kijou) was a Chinese painter of the Song Dynasty . His artwork featured many central themes of Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist folklore....
- Culture of the Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a culturally-rich and sophisticated age for China. There was blossoming of and advancements in the visual arts, music, literature, and philosophy...
External links