Song Xu
Encyclopedia
Song Xu was a Chinese
landscape painter
. His courtesy name was Chuyang (初炀) and pen name was Shimen (石门, “Stone Gate”). Song eventually became a Buddhist priest and adopted various religious names. He was, according to some sources from Jixing in Zhejiang province, but others assert that he was from Huzhou
in Zhejiang Province. Song was and extremely well read and well versed individual who was greatly influenced by Zen
teaching. He was an expert landscapist, but also excelled at human figures. During the late 16th century, he traveled throughout China. A 1543 scroll shows his study of the Song period
painter Xia Gui
. He is said to have studied the works of the master artist Shen Zhou
. Song's eccentric paintings are often characterized by inscriptions in characters of an archaic style. An extant painting of Buddhist Arhats bears a date of 1605. Other works show a still active painter at eighty-one. Song Xu was an artist that was largely individualistic and independent, working for the most part outside the major painting schools of his age.
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
landscape painter
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
. His courtesy name was Chuyang (初炀) and pen name was Shimen (石门, “Stone Gate”). Song eventually became a Buddhist priest and adopted various religious names. He was, according to some sources from Jixing in Zhejiang province, but others assert that he was from Huzhou
Huzhou
Huzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively.-Administration:...
in Zhejiang Province. Song was and extremely well read and well versed individual who was greatly influenced by Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
teaching. He was an expert landscapist, but also excelled at human figures. During the late 16th century, he traveled throughout China. A 1543 scroll shows his study of the Song period
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
painter Xia Gui
Xia Gui
Xia Gui was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song Dynasty. Very little is known about his life, and only a few of his works survive, but he is generally considered one of China's greatest artists. He continued the tradition of Li Tang, further simplifying the earlier Song style to achieve a...
. He is said to have studied the works of the master artist Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
. Song's eccentric paintings are often characterized by inscriptions in characters of an archaic style. An extant painting of Buddhist Arhats bears a date of 1605. Other works show a still active painter at eighty-one. Song Xu was an artist that was largely individualistic and independent, working for the most part outside the major painting schools of his age.