Gong Xian
Encyclopedia
Gong Xian (1618–1689; some sources give his birth year as early as 1617 or as late as 1620; born in Kunshan
, Jiangsu
) was a Chinese
painter
, the most important of the Eight Masters of Nanjing
and the leading painter of the Nanjing school.
Primarily a landscape painter, mountain
s were the subject of most of Gong Xian's paintings. Willow
s are also a common theme in his work.
Gong Xian was a scholar loyal to the fallen Ming Dynasty, and he engaged in anti-Qing political activities in his youth. Following the fall of Nanjing
to the Qing, he was forced to flee to save his life. He spent many years at Yangzhou in exile, during which he continued to author anti-Qing works, and develop his characteristic "light Gong" and "dark Gong" styles.
Gong Xian was one of the literati and known for his work with prose and poetry
. It was only after the fall of Nanjing to the Qing that he took up professional painting as his primary means of making a living. However, despite painting several great pieces over his life, he ultimately died as he lived, in poverty.
Kunshan
Kunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region. Administratively, it is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It is located in southeastearn part of Jiangsu Province, China, adjacent to Jiangsu's border with the Shanghai Municipality.The total area of Kunshan...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) was a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
painter
Chinese painting
Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental; they consisted of patterns or designs rather than pictures. Early pottery was painted with spirals, zigzags, dots, or animals...
, the most important of the Eight Masters of Nanjing
Eight Masters of Nanjing
The Eight Masters of Nanjing or Eight Masters of Jinling were a group of 17th century Chinese painters living in Nanjing who were leaders of the Nanjing school. The most prominent of them was Gong Xian. The Eight Masters of Nanjing were:...
and the leading painter of the Nanjing school.
Primarily a landscape painter, mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s were the subject of most of Gong Xian's paintings. Willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s are also a common theme in his work.
Gong Xian was a scholar loyal to the fallen Ming Dynasty, and he engaged in anti-Qing political activities in his youth. Following the fall of Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
to the Qing, he was forced to flee to save his life. He spent many years at Yangzhou in exile, during which he continued to author anti-Qing works, and develop his characteristic "light Gong" and "dark Gong" styles.
Gong Xian was one of the literati and known for his work with prose and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. It was only after the fall of Nanjing to the Qing that he took up professional painting as his primary means of making a living. However, despite painting several great pieces over his life, he ultimately died as he lived, in poverty.