''Nine Dragons'' or 九龍圖卷 (陳容) is a handscroll painting by Chinese artist Chen Rong from 1244. Depicting the apparitions of

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

soaring amidst clouds, mists, whirlpools, rocky mountains and fire, the painting refers to the dynamic forces of nature in

Daoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

and the

liquid A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. As such, it is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, ...

, water-like

essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

of the Tao. The depicted dragons are associated with nine sons of the

Dragon King The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in C ...

, while the number nine itself is considered auspicious in

Chinese astrology Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. Chinese astrology came to flourish during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theory of the ...

and folk beliefs. Areas of the painting are spattered with drops of ink, either flung or blown onto the surface in a manner similar to

action painting Action painting, sometimes called "gestural abstraction", is a style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied. The resulting work often emphasizes the physical a ...

. This is a conscious evocation of rain and may even be a rainmaking ritual by the artist; lines 32 and 33 of Chen Rong's poetic inscription describe how his dragons either could, or did, produce rainfall: The painting features multiple inscriptions and stamps. The left side features various colophons, including those by

Zhang Sicheng Zhang Sicheng (died ) was the thirty-ninth Taoist Celestial Master of Zhengyi Dao, known for his calligraphy. He presumably flourished during the Yuan Dynasty. Zhang assumed the title of Celestial Master after the death of his father, Zhang Yucai ...

and Dong Sixue, a

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

official. Two inscriptions on the painting were made by the artist's own hand. The dating is based on one of them. According to the inscription placed at the end of the painting, the work was inspired by two other paintings, Cao Ba's ''Nine Horses'' and ''Nine Deers'', attributed to Huichong. A later inscription by the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 ...

says that besides praising Chen Rong's painting, Qianlong ordered a court painter to make a copy of it. Qianlong also impressed several seals on the original painting, whose text appreciate the work.

Provenance

In the 17th century the scroll was in the possession of

Geng Zhaozhong Geng may refer to: *Geng (dish) (羹), a thick soup *Geng (surname) (耿), a Chinese surname *Norbert Geng (born 1965), German lawyer and professor *21359 Geng Year 1359 ( MCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the ...

(1640–1686) son of Prince Geng Jimao and court attendant to the

Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661) was the second emperor of the Qing dynasty of China, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1644 to 1661. A committee of Manchu princes chose him to succe ...

. The

(1711–1799) passed it to the Jiaqing Emperor (1760–1820) and it was probably given by one of the later Qing emperors to Prince Gong (1833–1898). It was later owned by New York art dealers Yamanaka and Co. who in 1917 sold it to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston for $25,000.Museum of Fine Arts Bosto
17.1697
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References

{{reflist 1240s works Chinese dragons Song dynasty paintings Paintings of dragons Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston