Landscape in the style of Huang Gongwang

Landscape in the style of Huang Gongwang

Mo Shilong

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This large hanging scroll shows Mo Shilong struggling to achieve a strong sense of three-dimensional form. Piling up hummock and plateau motifs of the Yuan master Huang Gongwang (1269–1354) into a few interlocking units, Mo built a mountain ridge line that stands solidly within the picture frame. Mo Shilong's career was cut short by his early death, and it was his brilliant friend Dong Qichang (1555–1636) whose paintings and critical writings ultimately defined a new orthodox canon in scholar-amateur painting. This scroll supports Mo's significant contribution to Dong's revolutionary new style. An inscription by the contemporary connoisseur Chen Jiru makes clear how deeply Mo's vision impressed his contemporaries: Mo Shilong's calligraphy and painting brought about a revival of those arts in our district. Even Dong Qichang was one of those who followed him.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Landscape in the style of Huang GongwangLandscape in the style of Huang GongwangLandscape in the style of Huang GongwangLandscape in the style of Huang GongwangLandscape in the style of Huang Gongwang

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.