Dong Qichang is an indispensable figure in the history of Chinese calligraphy and painting. He is not only a master of calligraphy and painting, but also a founder of ancient calligraphy and painting theory, and has influenced the history of Chinese landscape painting for three hundred years since the Qing Dynasty.
The Paper has learned that on September 23rd, to commemorate the 470th anniversary of the birth of Ming Dynasty master Dong Qichang, the "Constructing the Southern School: A Special Exhibition on Dong Qichang's Art Research" opened at the Dong Qichang Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum in Songjiang, Shanghai. The exhibition brings together 25 rare calligraphy and painting masterpieces from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In addition to representative works such as "Dingmao Small Scenes Album," which was painted at the age of 73 at the peak of Dong Qichang's artistic career, the exhibition also includes authentic works by Ni Zan, Mo Shilong, Chen Jiru, and Wang Hui.
This exhibition is co-organized by the Shanghai Museum and the Humanities Songjiang Creative Research Institute (Dong Qichang Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum). Relying on the collections of the Shanghai Museum, Songjiang District Museum, and Cheng Shifa Art Museum, it attempts to guide the audience through four hundred years of time and into the art world constructed by Dong Qichang under the name of "Southern School", exploring how he used a set of theories to open a new era of painting.
How the Southern and Northern Schools Theory Reshaped the History of Painting
Upon entering the exhibition hall, one is immediately struck by a statement that has influenced Chinese art history for over 400 years: "Zen Buddhism has two schools, the Northern and Southern, which began to diverge during the Tang Dynasty. The Northern and Southern schools of painting also diverged during the Tang Dynasty." This is the core statement of Dong Qichang's "Southern and Northern Schools" theory. His introduction of Zen Buddhist thought into painting was not a simple regional division, but a profound definition of artistic style and spiritual essence.
In his view, the "Northern School," exemplified by the Tang Dynasty figures Li Sixun and his son, featured a meticulous and refined style, emphasizing the reproduction of technique, similar to the Zen Buddhist concept of gradual cultivation. The "Southern School," however, revered Wang Wei as its founder, emphasized the use of light ink and vivid artistic conception, prioritizing the artist's inner cultivation and the expression of momentary insights, similar to the Zen concept of sudden enlightenment. This theory, supplemented and implemented by his close friend Chen Jiru and others, quickly became the dominant discourse in the painting world after the late Ming Dynasty.
The exhibition's meticulously curated sections, such as "The Mission of the Southern School" and "Reshaping the History of Painting," clearly reveal Dong Qichang's ambition: he wasn't simply summarizing history, but rather reconstructing it. Through his collection, criticism, and his own creative work, he connected Wang Wei, Dong Yuan, Ju Ran, and the "Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty" into an ideal, literati-inspired lineage.
Ni Zan's "Ancient Trees and Bamboos"
Detail of Ni Zan's "Ancient Trees and Bamboos"
Before Ni Zan's "Ancient Trees and Bamboos," viewers can directly experience the "freehand and unrestrained brushwork" espoused by the Southern School of Painting. The painting's unique "folded belt texture" technique, using dry ink with a side-edge to outline the layers of stone, not only shapes the image but also conveys a sense of cool and solitary state of mind. Dong Qichang keenly grasped that every brushstroke and every stroke of ink in Ni Zan's paintings transcends the concrete image, possessing a unique "interest in brushwork"—the very core of the Southern School of Painting theory.
Chen Jiru's "Stone Appraisal" fan leaf
Chen Jiru's fan leaf, "Stone Appraisal," serves as a visual footnote to this theory. He transforms the Song Dynasty aesthetic of Mi Fu's stone appreciation, which he characterized as "delicate, thin, elegant, and transparent," into "delicate, thin, wrinkled, and transparent." Through the lens of an ancient figure, he illuminates the aesthetic tastes of Ming Dynasty literati, demonstrating how the "Southern School" group reinterpreted tradition to establish their own artistic values.
The Consciousness of Brush and Ink: An Exploration of "Modernity" Three Hundred Years Earlier than the West
The exhibition's second profound significance lies in revealing the transcendental foresight of the "Southern and Northern Schools" theory. This represents perhaps the earliest profound self-awareness of the "essence of art" in the history of Chinese painting. For Dong Qichang, the highest value of painting lay not in its ability to realistically "reproduce" nature, but in the aesthetic pleasure and personal expression that the brush and ink form itself could bring. This effectively shifted the focus of painting from "what to paint" to "how to paint," a groundbreaking conceptual revolution. Subsections within the exhibition, such as "The Rebirth of Brush and Ink" and "Reinventing Tradition," make this abstract theory visible and tangible through comparative presentation.
Dong Qichang's "Dingmao Small Scenes Album" exhibition
Dong Qichang's own painting, "Dingmao Small Scenes Album," is a prime example. Created at the age of 73, at the height of his artistic career, this painting is titled "In the Style of Ju Ran." However, when viewers compare its style with Ju Ran's original, a Five Dynasties artist, they are struck by the difference. Dong Qichang eschews Ju Ran's complex panoramic compositions and meticulous brushstrokes, instead embodying his essence through "simplification."
The rounded rocks in the painting, the dynamic and natural hemp-textured texture of the brushstrokes, and the interplay of dry and moist ink colors create a sense of innocence and simplicity, a return to nature. He abstracted formal elements from classical models (such as brushstrokes and composition) but infused them with a strong personal understanding and momentary experience.
Through the "Famous Paintings Decoded" approach, the curator guides the audience, like a detective, to dissect the meaning behind every brushstroke, revealing that Dong Qichang was in fact engaging in a dialogue with the ancients, creating a uniquely individual work. This emphasis on the independent value of pictorial form, viewing painting as the product of the interplay between the artist and the viewer, undoubtedly resonates with the Western modern art concept of pursuing formal autonomy and spiritual expression, an exploration that predates the West by nearly three hundred years.
From history to the present: the living inheritance of the Southern School bloodline
This special exhibition, rather than simply dwelling on reams of old documents, ultimately aims to revitalize ancient wisdom in the modern era. It skillfully connects Dong Qichang's history with the present, attempting to construct a system of painting knowledge that is both "Chinese and modern." The "Famous Paintings of All Ages" genealogy chart and the "Brushstroke Techniques" wall offer visitors a visual glimpse into the evolution of the "Southern School" of brushwork from Wang Wei in the Tang Dynasty to Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty, and the gradual establishment of the core aesthetic of Chinese painting. Hidden gems like multimedia technology and scene creation allow viewers to "travel" into the realms of Southern School landscape painting for a memorable photo opportunity, or to appreciate the subtle nuances of Dong Qichang's brushstrokes through naked-eye 3D technology, bringing static ancient paintings to life.
"Constructing the Southern School: Dong Qichang Art Research Special Exhibition"
Particularly noteworthy is the exhibition's deep integration of "Songjiang elements." Known as "the root of Shanghai" and a city of calligraphy and painting, Songjiang is the hometown of key figures of the "Songjiang School of Painting," including Dong Qichang, Mo Shilong, and Chen Jiru. The exhibition not only highlights the collective contributions of this regional school but also places it within the broader context of promoting the development of "Jiangnan Calligraphy and Painting Art Reception Hall" and promoting aesthetic education for all. During the exhibition's run until December 22nd, the museum will offer a series of themed activities, including guided tours, seminars, and calligraphy and painting training. These activities, particularly targeting youth, will continue to build the "Social Aesthetic Education" brand and deepen its "100 Courses, 100 Exhibitions" initiative, ensuring that the legacy of this "City of Calligraphy and Painting" is embedded in the learning and lives of the next generation.
