Wang Hui (; 1632–1717) was a Chinese
landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
painter, one of the
Four Wangs
The Four Wangs () were four Chinese landscape painters in the 17th century, all with the surname Wang. They are best known for their accomplishments in ''shan shui'' painting.
The painters
They were Wang Shimin (1592–1680), Wang Jian (159 ...
. He, and the three other Wangs, dominated orthodox art in China throughout the late
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
and early
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
periods. Of the Four Wangs, Wang Hui is considered the best-known today.
Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei museums loaned works for "Landscapes Clear and Radiant: The Art of Wang Hui (1632-1717)" in 2008 at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in New York.
Biography
Wang Hui followed in the footprints of his great grandfathers, grandfather, father and uncles and learned painting at a very early age. He was later taught by two contemporary masters,
Zhang Ke and
Wang Shimin
Wáng Shímǐn (; c. 1592–1680) was a Chinese landscape painter during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).
Born in the Jiangsu province, Wang grew up in an artistic, scholarly environment. His grandfather was ...
, who taught him to work in the tradition of copying famous Chinese paintings. This is most likely the reason why critics claim that his work is conservative and reflects the Yuan and Song traditions. One critic claimed that "his landscape paintings reflect his nostalgic attachment to classical Chinese aesthetics." Along with the other Wangs, Wang Hui helped to perpetuate the tradition of copying the ancient masters rather than creating original work.
Gallery
Image:thousandpeaks.jpg, Wang Hui, ''A Thousand Peaks and Myriad Ravines'' 1693
Image:Wang Hui, landscape painting.jpg, Wang Hui, (need title)
Image:Wang Hui 001.jpg, Wang Hui, ''Thousand miles along the Jangtse'' 1700
Image:Wang Hui, Mountains, Streams and Autumn Trees.jpg, Wang Hui, ''Mountains, Streams, and Autumn Trees''
Image:Wang Hui6.jpg, Wang Hui, ''Hut in the autumn rain''
Image:Wang Hui10.jpg, Wang Hui, ''Fisherman Huts and Clearing Skies in Autumn''
Image:WangHui-TheBeautyOfGreenMountainsAndRivers-ShanghaiMuseum-May27-08.jpg, ''The Beauty of Green Mountains and Rivers'' 1679
File:Arbre en automne et corneilles 1712 par le peintre chinois Wang Hui.jpg, ''Tree in Autumn and Crows'', dated 1712
References
Further reading
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External links
Wang Hui in the collection of the National Palace Museum, TaipeiWang Hui in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Hui
Qing dynasty landscape painters
1632 births
1717 deaths
Painters from Suzhou
People from Changshu