Easy and Essential knowledge of Chinese art, Early Spring

Early Spring,1072, Guo Xi 

 Guo Xi's <Early Spring> is a famous work which can be said as a one of the most famous landscape painting in China. This work depicts an end of the winter and welcoming the early spring, showing sharp nature conifers, clear waterfalls and vibrant mountain peaks rising spring in the layers of the fog.

   

 Looking at this work, the landscape of the mountain is drawn at several viewpoints. Guo Xi, who was a painter and theoretician as well, invented 'Three perspective’, which is highly visible, horizontally and deeply, and applied to his works. This gives you the feeling of enjoying nature by strolling through the mountains yourself.

 Also, there is a signature seal of his own, which was unusual at that time, so we could see the confidence he had as a painter and the rise of the painter’s status.

 In 1759 by the Qianlong Emperor added the poem on the upper right corner, expressing his impression of the upcoming spring.

Image from Taiwan Nation Palace Museum 

http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/collection/selections_02.htm?docno=48&catno=15