SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Mei Qing (1624-1697), one of the most original painters in seventeenth-century China, created a unique style of depicting the topography of the Chinese landscape, especially that of Mt. Huang. He has been recognized as one of the three greatest masters of the Mt. Huang school, along with Hongren (1610-1664) and Shitao (1642 - 1707). Also he once was praised as the leader of painting of actual landscape in the Ming and Qing dynasties. But, hitherto no extensive and critical studies on his paintings have been undertaken. The present study is divided into six chapters. In the first chapter, Mei Qing's background, poet-painter career and those of many of his painter friends are discussed, laying the historical groundwork for further study of his paintings. On the basis of poems and paintings by Mei Qing and by Shitao, the relationship between these two artists is explored in detail. In the second chapter, we learn that Mei Qing's paintings are derived from various sources; contemporary Anhui paintings, ancient masters, topographical paintings and prints, and particularly nature itself Through an analysis of Mei Qing's dated paintings, three stages of stylistic development are suggested in the third chapter, so providing a framework for dating nine undated works and for judging sixteen forgeries in the fourth chapter. After an exploration of the formation of the Mt. Huang school, a clearer and more precise definition of the school is proposed in chapter five. Through a comparison between Mei Qing's renditions of Mt. Huang and those by the other masters of the school, Mei Qing's poetic-fantastic imagination is completely revealed. In the final chapter, four important followers of Mei Qing are discussed to manifest the influence of his paintings. The significance of Mei Qing's role as a leader of painting of actual landscape in later Chinese landscape painting is further argued in the conclusion.