40 AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU Right: ZhāngKǎi 张恺 / 張愷 (Chinese, active late 18th century) River andSky inEveningSnow, final leaf froman albumof eight paintings on the theme of the Eight Views of Xiāoxiāng, 1771 Album leaf; ink and color on silk Gift of Janet KnappByles (OC 1945 andOC 1952), 2002.6 This painting from the Eight Views of Xiāoxiāng depicts fishermen in their boat, navigating the snow-covered Xiāng river. For Sòng Dí, who created the Eight Views theme while in exile, the evening snow likely evoked his political isolation and sorrow. The artist Zhāng Kǎi, however, painted this version while serving in the imperial painting academy of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). At this time, the Manchu rulers used traditional Chinese arts to legitimize their rule over a predominantly Chinese population. By painting this classical Chinese treatment of landscape, Zhāng’s work helped demonstrate the Qing court’s embrace of Chinese cultural traditions, and particularly the emphasis on representations of nature. THE TRADITIONAL TITLES OF THE EIGHT VIEWS OF XIĀOXIĀNG 1. Wild Geese Descending to a Sandbar (平沙雁落 Píngshā luòyàn) 2. Returning Sail off Distant Shore (遠浦歸帆 Yuǎ npǔ guīfān) 3. Mountain Market in Clearing Mist (山市晴嵐 Shānshì qínglán) 4. River and Sky in Evening Snow (江天暮雪 Jiāngtiān mùxuě) Above: UnrecordedChineseArtist MountainMarket inClearingMist, 20th century Ink and colors on paper Bequest of Ronald J. DiCenzo, Professor of History and East Asian Studies at Oberlin College, 1972–2005, 2020.4.4 The third theme in the traditional order of Eight Views of Xiāoxiāng is Mountain Market in Clearing Mist. Like River and Sky in Evening Snow, this work originally had political implications. In Sòng Dí’s time, markets appeared rarely in paintings. His choice was probably intended as a subtle critique of the court’s new tax policies, enforced in marketplaces, and seen as a cause of poverty in the countryside. This work, by an unidentified 20th-century artist working in a traditional style, is more escapist than political. It shows an idealized village, nestled in amongst craggy cliffs and hills. THE EIGHT VIEWS OF XIĀOXIĀNG (潇湘八景 XIĀOXIĀNG BĀJǏNG) The Eight Views of Xiāoxiāng was developed by Song dynasty official Sòng Dí 宋迪 (c. 1015–c. 1080) during his exile to the Xiāng river region, a place known for natural beauty but also associated with exile and reclusion. Despite longing for court life, Sòng was moved by the area’s scenery and created a series of eight paintings capturing the essence of the “clear and deep” (xiāo) Xiāng river. As did earlier poetry about this place, Sòng Di’s paintings had subtle political meanings in his day. In later times the Eight Views became one of East Asia’s most influential landscape themes by combining specific times (dawn, dusk, seasons), weather conditions (rain, snow, mist), topography, and human activities. It embodied the East Asian artistic tradition of depicting both physical landscapes and poetic moods, often incorporating calligraphy and poetry. 5. Autumn Moon over Lake Dòngtíng (洞庭秋月 Dòngtíng qiūyuè) 6. Night Rain on Xiāoxiāng (瀟湘夜雨 Xiāoxiāng yèyǔ ) 7. Evening Bell fromMist-shrouded Temple (煙寺晚鐘 Yānsì wǎ nzhōng) 8. Fishing Village in Evening Glow (漁村夕照 Yúcūn xīzhào)
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