"Zhongshan Going On Excursion" By Gong Kai

“Zhongshan Going on Excursion” by Gong Kai is 32.8 centimeters long and 169.5 centimeters wide.Painted on paper with ink,the work depicts a scene in which Zhong Kui and his younger sister lead a group of ghosts to an excursion.It is currently displayed at Freer Gallery of Art in the US.The painting is of a peculiar style and has profound meaning.In addition,it was created during the late Song Dynasty and the early Yuan Dynasty,a special social period.Therefore,it has always been taken as an important work.This paper made an analysis of the painting from its visual representation,graphical modeling,and texture and techniques.The first chapter interprets the visual representation of the painting by analyzing its format and structure.The format of the painting is handscroll,which makes it possible for the painter to express and for the viewer to appreciate the painting in a unique way.As a painter myself,I again studied the structure of the painting through the distribution of black,white and grey,the utilization of linear props,and the connection among the heads of the ghosts.The second chapter studies the graphical modeling of the painting.Zhong Kui appears to be charmingly na?ve,but intimidating in any way.The faces of the younger sister of Zhong Kui and her maid are painted dark,which appears to be an “ink makeup”,which is quite unique because the sister is good-looking in other paintings.The other ghosts are naked,posturing weirdly.The third chapter probes into the techniques used in the painting through studying the changes in the production process of brushes,ink,and paper,and the brush holding technique in the Song and Yuan dynasties.