Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Chinese Landscapes from the Ashmolean Collection

(from 9th Feb until 21st Jul 2013)

Explore the continued tradition of Chinese landscape painting in this complement to the Xu Bing show.

Detail of River Landscape, by Zha Shibiao, Yangzhou, China, 1666 (Museum No: EA1980.142)
Myriad Autumn Peaksfront, painting only

© the artist's estate

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Myriad Autumn Peaks

  • Description

    Xiao Sun was from Huaining in Anhui province, where he first learnt to paint with Jian Yun (1847-1919). In the inscription on this painting, the artist describes: ‘[I] casually composed [this painting], and unexpectedly it looks like [the works of] Huanghe shanqiao [aka Wang Meng (1301-1385)]. His early works were tidy and rigid. Someone told him “painting should be for yourself, not for others”. After that, [he] changed his attitude, and his art is much improved. In my opinion, his later achievement is a consequence of his early rigidness; when his spirit comes and comes to the pond [to paint], he brings out his personal characteristics and style, and undoubtedly shows the quality. Saying something like ‘for others or for yourself’ is to make others believe [his reason of changing], which he first makes himself believe’.

  • Details

    show all
    Associated place
    Asia › China (place of creation)
    Date
    1883 - 1944
    Artist/maker
    Xiao Sun (1883 - 1944) (artist)
    Associated people
    Wang Meng (1308 - 1385) (named on object)
    Material and technique
    ink and colour on paper
    Dimensions
    mount 200 x 59.7 cm approx. (height x width)
    painting 103 x 49 cm (height x width)
    along roller 68.3 cm (length)
    Material index
    processed material › paper
    Technique index
    decorated › painted,
    painted,
    covered › coated › painted,
    marked › painted,
    drawn (image) › line drawing › brush drawing
    Object type index
    visual representation › scroll › hanging scroll,
    communications equipment › art/writing equipment › scroll › hanging scroll,
    visual representation › painting
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Purchased, 1962.
    Accession no.
    EA1962.232

  • Further reading

    Vainker, Shelagh, Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2000), no. 146 on p. 170, illus. p. 171 fig. 146

Past Exhibition

see (1)

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford by Shelagh Vainker

    Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

    Xiao Sun was from Huaining in Anhui province, where he first learnt to paint with Jiang Yun (1847-1919). He travelled throughout China and eventually settled in Peking, where he held a succession of teaching posts, and was an active member of Chen Hengke's Society for the Study of Chinese Painting in the 1920s. He was one of the major early twentieth century promoters of the early Qing individualist painter Dao Ji, who was also from Anhui.
Notice

Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.

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