Study Of "A Horizontal View Of Rivers And Mountains" By Cheng Zhengkui

As for traditional landscape painting,Cheng Zhengkui created more than 500 volumes of A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains,which were distinguished by "headline figures" of one,two...up to 500.In terms of the number of painting with the same subject,it can be said that it’s unprecedented in history and un-approached hereafter.The author reviews the existing scroll of A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains,and divides it into three periods based on time: in official position,in seclusion and in rural life,which also corresponds to his three stages of life.In official period,he treated painting as a hobby as he still wanted to do something in this position.From getting involved in painting to mastering the pen and ink style of Nanzong,his creation was greatly improved.At this time,the style of his landscape painting was generally weak and elegant,being saturated in vigour of strokes,as well as powerful and vigorous.During the seclusion period,he was dismissed and returned to Jinling(now Nanjing).The painting style of A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains is influenced by friends making and affection expression.Then the picture not only gives the feeling of “quiet elegance with lingering charm”,but also has a rigorous method.When living a country life,Cheng Zhengkui left Jinling and returned to his hometown Xiaogan.The picture of that time lacks previous spirit and shows a kind of ancient and light natural meaning.Looking at his creation in three stages,it can be known that Cheng Zhengkui gradually broke away from the ideologies of his predecessors.He changed the stereotype-calligraphy in previous paintings and made his pen and ink simpler,forming a series of unique,long-volume sequential creation of A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains.Besides,exploring the causes of the style of A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains can better understand Cheng’s creative concept of "visiting world’s famous mountains" the idea forming in the process of "seeing all the essence of ancients",which is of great significance to the author’s own creation of landscape painting.In short,taking Cheng Zhengkui’s A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains as research object,this paper clarifies his life experience and interpersonal relationships,and explores the connotation and causes of his artistic style.Through the temporary practice and sketch creation of Cheng Zhengkui’s A Horizontal View of Rivers and Mountains,the author combines learning from ancients and from nature and applies it to graduation creation,so as to draw more inspiration from the tradition.