Shang Rui, born in Suzhou in Jiangsu province, was a monk. His painting style was classical, and he also wrote poetry. According to the inscription, the painting imitates the brushwork of Wen Boren (1502-1575), the nephew of the famous Ming painter Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), who is known for his landscapes. It is said that Wen Boren’s landscapes have two different styles, a ‘simple’ style and a ‘complicated’ one. His ‘complicated’ style is influenced by Wang Meng (1301-1385), who usually applies intensive cun strikes and dots to make a dense composition. Here Shang Rui seems to follow Wen Boren’s ‘complicated’ style.
Vainker, Shelagh, Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2000), no. 118 on p. 136, illus. pp. 136-137 figs 118a-g
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