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Birds in ink wash grace halls of museum
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A unique exhibition featuring 15 bird-themed paintings from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), showcasing the pinnacle of traditional Chinese ink-wash art, is on display at Zhejiang Museum as it celebrates its 95th anniversary.
The exhibition titled “Nature in Chinese Art” also includes 28 high-definition reproductions of Song Dynasty bird paintings and 39 contemporary photography works on birds.
“It is a crossover-concept display that combines art with nature. Seeing the Song Dynasty paintings from a bird’s eye has never happened in our museum,” said Chen Shuihua, curator of Zhejiang Museum.
Chen is an ornithologist who has researched and protected birds in Zhejiang Province.
“Museums and galleries have long treasured Song Dynasty paintings. They rarely loan the collections to other groups. It takes a lot of effort to borrow these paintings from the eight museums, including the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States,” Chen said.
People regard Song Dynasty ink-wash paintings as the pinnacle of ancient art and the defining feature of traditional Chinese aesthetic. The exhibited paintings use few strokes and allow a lot of blank space, resulting in a simple, plain style with a poetic feel.
Bird and landscape painter Li Cheng (AD 919-967) was renowned for his winter scenes featuring poultry, birds, and trees. His birds often appeared in secluded hills and dales, with waterfalls cascading down rugged cliffs and uniquely shaped pine trees.
He employed varying shades of ink and masterful compositions to convey his expansive artistic vision.
The displayed artwork showcases subtle, graded ink washes and overlapping brushstrokes, capturing atmospheric elements of mist, rivers, trees and infinity.
However, some painters prefer to depict birds on branches rather than in big landscapes.
Lin Chun, a Song Dynasty royal court painter, depicts a bird flying on a fruitful loquat branch. He used light ink to vividly suggest the animal’s expression, posture and feathers. The loquat fruits appear plump and luscious. A single stroke by the painter generated amazing tonal shifts, ranging from deep black to silvery gray.
Emperor Huizong (1082-1135) of the Song Dynasty, a prominent painter in Chinese art history, was an outspoken promoter for bird painting. Despite his inadequacy as a ruler, he was renowned for his poetry, art, calligraphy and music skills. The Palace Museum in Beijing lists some of his works as national treasures. The emperor was also a generous supporter of painters, reforming the Painting Academy during his reign.
Replicas of his paintings, such as the famous “Rui He Tu” (Auspicious Cranes), which captures flying cranes over the imperial palace, are featured in the exhibition. This painting was considered the pinnacle of the royal painting school.
To brief visitors about birds and wildlife, organizers set up fresh images alongside the old paintings. For instance, Emperor Huizong once depicted a white-bellied green pigeon standing on a peach blossom branch. A photograph of the same subject reveals the realistic strokes of his painting. Although the colors faded over time, his strokes captured his view. Aside from photography, the exhibition features 3D immersive equipment that provides visitors with an interactive experience.
“With the help of realistic photos and immersive experience, people can understand what painters painted birds like this a millennium ago,” Chen said. “The exhibition provides people with some scientific information while they linger over artistic works.”
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