Ming artist Dong Qichang (1555-1636), also one of the best-known art collectors and virtuosos of his time, is a highly controversial figure, largely due to his career in the bureaucracy rather than his artwork. He made enemies among both scholars, who forced him into temporary retirement in 1605, and eunuchs. Most shocking, however, was that on several occasions he insulted and beat women who came to him with grievances, leading to his house being burnt down by an angry mob. Criticism of his moral character and artistic works was particularly sonorous in the Republic of China years (1911-1949), but he still won a good number of vocal admirers throughout history. In recent years his paintings have grown increasingly popular among collectors inside and out of China, as testified by soaring prices at auctions.

At the China Guardian 2012 fall auction Dong’s reproduction of Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains fetched RMB 62.675 million, a new record for the artist. Finished in 1627, the 28.5×297 cm painting marks the artistic consummation of Dong Qichang in his later years. It was part of the collection of the imperial court during the Qing Dynasty, and changed hands several times after it was pillaged from the royal palace at the end of the regime. Meticulously tended by each owner, it has miraculously remained in immaculate condition.

This is more than can be said for the original, however. Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Huang Gongwang (1269- 1354) of the Yuan Dynasty is one of the ten most treasured Chinese paintings. It depicts mountain views along the Fuchun River in Zhejiang Province, and is lauded for its skillful composition and fine nuances of ink application. Sadly, one Ming Dynasty owner of the work was so fascinated with it that he attempted to burn it before his death so as to take it with him in the afterlife. Quick acting from the owner’s nephew saved the work from total destruction, but it was left partially damaged and split in two. Today, the first section is in the Museum of Zhejiang Province while the second resides at Taipei’s National Palace Museum.

The two sections were pieced together for an exhibition in Taipei in June 2011, making headlines on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and drawing crowds. A film themed of this reunion – Switch – is soon to be released and tells of the race between police and international thieves.

Over the years several versions of Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains have been created, and those of Shen Zhou (1427-1509) and Dong Qichang have maintained particular acclaim through the generations. Shen was 61 when he made his copy from memory after it had been stolen from his home. In 1996 it was sold at RMB 8.8 million. Dong Qichang became owner of both the original and this copy during his lifetime, and he produced his own rendition of the masterpiece in his 70s.

Despite his unpopularity in many corners, Dong Qichang had a successful political career, holding senior positions including the minister of rite and vice governor of what are today’s Hunan and Hubei provinces. He resigned in his later years to commit fully to art and founded the Songjiang School. Dong also wrote a number of books and treatises on art theory that had a far-reaching impact on artists of later generations.

Dong is most recognized for his landscape paintings, which were lauded in Illustrated Painting History (Hua Shi Hui Yao) in 1631 as unrivalled in the Ming Dynasty. Dong was also an accomplished calligrapher, best at cursive hand and regular script. He created a style that drew from existing genres but still allowed for ample individual expression. In 2011 his Calligraphy and Painting Brochure (Shu Hua Xiao Ce) was auctioned off at close to RMB 48.49 million, the record set prior to that made by the Fuchun Mountains.

Source: China Today