From China To South Korea Xiaoxiang Eight Landscape Research

Ever since Di Song, a literates and an artist in North Song Dynasty, started to draw paintings themed by Eight Views of Xiaoxiang in the late11th century, many people had drawn paintings of this theme through to Ming and Qing Dynasties. This theme painting was introduced to Korea and Japan in very early times and was prevalent for a certain period. It is said that this painting had been prevalent in Korea since it was introduced in Koryo times and had not gone out of style until the end of Korea times. In late Korea times, this theme painting was absorbed by folk paintings and became very popular among scholars, officials and civilians after that. This prevalence lasted for hundreds of years.It is said that the man who created the paintings of Eight Views of Xiaoxiang was Di Song, an artist in North Song Dynasty. Since none of the existing paintings was confirmed to be his, we cannot know what the paintings he created looked like. However, there are still some reserved landscape paintings from North Song which are presumed to be his or related to him.In Changsha, a county in Hunan Province of China, there are two rivers named Xiao and Xiang respectively. From North Song Dynasty, they are called Xiaoxiang River together. Their beautiful views are often depicted in literatures where Xiaoxiang River is described as a place for sad beautiful love or parting, and a hermitic and isolated space. It is not difficult to find such artistic conception in the poems of Eight Views of Xiaoxiang by Koryo or Korean literati. These poems also reflect the sad and moody scene in paintings of Eight Views of Xiaoxiang.It is not known when the paintings of Eight Views of Xiaoxiang starting from Di Song of North Song were introduced to Korea because it is very difficult to identify. However, according to documents, they were introduced to Korea no later than Koryo times (i.e., late12th century), or maybe even earlier.After that, the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang shaped as the ideal classic scenery in early Korea times became the favorite theme of Korean literati. In late Korea times, there were very few works themed with all eight topics. Instead, each topic was painted individually. Artists didn’t put China’s Xiaoxiang River into their paintings. Instead, they depicted sceneries in Korea, which can be reflected from the works of Shan Zheng, the creator of real landscape paintings at that time.The painting of Eight Views of Xiaoxiang derived its origin from China in11th century and was introduced to Korea in12th century with its prevalence until Korea times. The reason why the theme painting originated from China became popular in Korea is because that the ideal sceneries in the eight views satisfied the vision and expectation of Korean literati. Moreover, there are many folk stories behind the views of Xiaoxiang, such as the legend of Imperial Concubine, the seclusion place and the land of exile, etc. These stories arouse the sympathy of literati for the theme of the paintings.