8. Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains – Huang Gongwang
Huang Gongwang (1269–1354) was only 10 years old when the Song Dynasty fell to the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, many painters openly opposed official tendencies in art. They did not want to live in the capital and work at the Mongolian court. In their paintings, these artists turned to the themes developed in the Song dynasty, such as retreat into nature.
Like many intellectuals of the time, Huang Gongwang found his path to a good career severely limited. He held a minor post as a legal clerk for several years. However, he was charged with tax violation and briefly imprisoned. Completely disillusioned, he then retreated into Taoism. His several nicknames reflected his attitudes: Lonely mountain peak, Abode of Purity, or Silly Taoist Priest.
He spent his last years in the Fuchun mountains near Hangzhou, where he taught philosophy to his disciples. Huang Gongwang began serious studies in painting only at the age of 50. Around 1350 he completed one of his most famous works Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. It is a kind of manifesto of the secluded life.
The Remaining Mountain
Initially, there was only one scroll of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. In 1650, Wu Hongyu, one of the owners of the painting, liked it so much that he had it burnt shortly before he died. He hoped that in this way he could bring it to the afterlife with him. Luckily, Wu Hongyu’s nephew rescued the artwork from complete destruction. However, the painting was already aflame and torn into two. The smaller piece became known as The Remaining Mountain. It is now in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou. The longer piece, The Master Wuyong Scroll, ended up in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The scroll depicts early autumn on the Fuchun River. The image sweeps across the horizon, revealing a majestic, spacious landscape. Mountain peaks rise to the sky, while deep gorges stretch between. The pines stand proudly and the distant forest is hidden in a haze. The trees are uneven, dense, or rare. Country houses, bridges, boats, and human figures are lost in the landscape. The tops of trees on the mountains are vaguely visible, giving a sense of rhythm and tranquility to the painting.
The Master Wuyong
Sketching out the entire composition in one sitting, the artist carried the scroll with him when he traveled. He went over it when his mood was right, without quite finishing it. Huang Gongwang used very dry brush strokes together with light ink washes to build up his paintings. It allowed him to build dynamically complex masses. His loose drawing gives the scenery a slightly unkempt look. However, it also diverts our attention from the calculated construction of the scroll. Subsequent imitators lost this effect of spontaneity in their more schematic approach to painting.
