Captivating Vistas: Grazing by the River 

Today, we will delve into a painting masterpiece created nearly a millennium ago that holds the distinction of being the inaugural piece to undergo expert appraisal following the reestablishment of the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group.

On August 31, 2023, a significant milestone was reached as the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group celebrated its 40th anniversary since its reestablishment. Initially composed of seven eminent experts spanning various disciplines, this group embarked on its journey in 1983. Over the course of eight years, the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group undertook an extensive endeavor, traversing thousands of miles to evaluate more than 80,000 ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy pieces. The culmination of their efforts materialized in the form of the Catalog of Ancient Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, a comprehensive compilation that now serves as a gateway to a wealth of information about the multitude of ancient Chinese artworks located within the Chinese mainland.

In 1983, the National Cultural Heritage Administration finally reinstated the work of the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group. Their work had been interrupted for over a decade due to reasons such as the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. During these years, there were many archaeological discoveries, as well as numerous new donations and acquisitions, enriching the collections of museums across the country. However, there was no unified consensus for determining the authenticity of many cultural relics, their dating, and especially the appraisal of ancient paintings and calligraphy. Expert opinions varied greatly, making it difficult to reach a consensus.

After the reestablishment of the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group, the first item to be appraised was a painting from the Northern Song Dynasty, lasting from 960 to 1127, titled Jiangshan Fangmu Tu, or the Grazing by the River.

This painting, created by Qi Xu, depicts a waterside scene in the southern regions, featuring 16 plowing cattle. Some are carrying herdsmen as they approach the shore, some are drinking by the water’s edge, others are bathing in the water, and some are playfully fighting while calves chase their mothers. The depictions are diverse, vivid, and interesting.

The herdsmen themselves also vary; some are singing, and others are playing the flute, exuding innocence and charm. In the distance, a few farmers can be seen: some are busy with work, while others are taking a break, engaged in a game of chess.

On the left side of the painting, there’s a small bridge and thatched cottages surrounded by lush trees. On the right, the lake water is clear, trees flourish, and the mountains rise and fall. The composition of the image is bright, orderly, lively, and well-arranged. In the upper right corner, there’s an inscription by Emperor Zhangzong of Jin, Wanyan Jing: “Qi Xu’s Grazing by the River.” This inscription serves as a primary basis for determining the author and period of the painting.

This painting employs a distant composition, strongly influenced by Northern Song artist Guo Xi, and is a perfect fusion of genre painting and small landscape scenery.

During the Song Dynasty, which lasted from 960 to 1279, the famous painting critic Guo Ruoxu praised Qi Xu in his Tuhua Jianwen Lu, or Records of Observations on Paintings, stating that, “In fine paintings of flowers, bamboo, and birds, he excelled in water buffalo and bull paintings. His ingenious compositions occasionally exhibit the residual style of Dai Song.” Dai Song is a Tang Dynasty painter, well-known for his depictions of cattle. The Tang Dynasty had two renowned painters of cattle: Han Huang, author of the Five Oxen painting that we talked about on November 15th of last year. The other one is Dai Song. In the Song Dynasty, three prominent artists specialized in painting cattle, and Qi Xu was one of them.

Cattle are a significant symbol of the agricultural civilization in the Central Plains, a major cradle of Chinese civilization centered on Henan Province, and Jiangnan, affluent areas in the south of the Yangtze River. Qi Xu excelled in painting cattle and cats. Depicting animal fur and hair is a challenging technique in painting, and his mastery of this technique is evident. From the perspective of artistic skill, it is unmistakably the work of a master. 

Considering inscriptions and colophons, if their transmission is well-documented, it can generally be identified as genuine. Especially in this painting, the cattle are depicted drinking with lowered heads, raising their heads to gaze, twisting their bodies, and walking sideways – all indicating a high level of skilled brushwork and precise modeling. This painting was authenticated in 1983 by experts from the appraisal group based on its artistic technique, level of execution, and its historical transmission. Moreover, it’s the sole surviving treasure attributed to Qi Xu.

So, why was this painting authenticated in 1983? It happened to be donated to the Forbidden City in that same year, coinciding with the resumption of work by the Chinese Ancient Art Appraisal Group after over a decade of interruption. Thus, Grazing by the River became the first among the 80,000 paintings and calligraphy works authenticated by the appraisal group thereafter.

Most of China’s ancient paintings were stored in the Forbidden City. After the Republic of China era, the last emperor, Pu Yi, continued to live in the palace for over a decade, maintaining a small court within the Forbidden City.

However, regarding everything within the Forbidden City, including buildings, furniture, and cultural artifacts such as calligraphy and paintings, Pu Yi only had the right to use them, not ownership. This means he didn’t have property rights. What’s more, the ruling government frequently failed to provide the required support funds in a timely manner. 

To address this issue, Pu Yi’s advisors devised a plan under the pretext of bestowing these precious cultural artifacts to his younger brother, Pu Jie, and thus, they were taken out of the palace. Among these artifacts, paintings and calligraphy were valuable, easily portable, and inconspicuous compared to gold, silver, and jewelry. In total, more than 1,000 paintings and calligraphy pieces were taken out, with the actual number varying between 1,198 and 1,375 according to different statistical records.

Taking these artifacts out had its advantages. Many eunuchs engaged in theft, and some even set fire to the Jianfu Palace to cover their tracks. This resulted in the loss of many calligraphy and painting treasures during the fire. The ones taken out by Pu Yi were, in a way, fortunate to have survived.

After leaving the Forbidden City, Pu Yi moved to Tianjin and later became the puppet emperor of the Japanese-controlled Manchukuo in Changchun of northeast China’s Jilin Province. He relied on these artworks to maintain his dignity and lifestyle. In 1945, when World War II ended and Japan was defeated, Pu Yi left most of the artworks in Changchun’s palace of Manchukuo Regime known as the Xiaobailou, taking only a small portion before hastily escaping.

The most valuable part of these artworks, numbering over 260 pieces, were said to have been carried by Pu Yi himself. He took them to Shenyang, Liaoning Province, planning to escape to Japan by plane. However, just as the plane was about to take off, Soviet Red Army troops occupied Shenyang airport where they arrested Pu Yi and his associates. The artworks were confiscated and remained in China, eventually being handed over to the Northeast Museum, known today as the Liaoning Provincial Museum.

Therefore, China’s ancient calligraphy and paintings, particularly those from the Qing Dynasty collected in the Forbidden City, can be found in three main locations. One is the Palace Museum in Beijing, some are in the Palace Museum in Taipei due to their transfer by the Nationalist government to Taiwan, and the rest are in the Liaoning Provincial Museum in Shenyang. Some precious paintings and calligraphy that were initially in the Liaoning Provincial Museum have since been transferred to the Palace Museum in Beijing, including the famous Northern Song painting Qingming Shanghe Tu, or Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan.

The calligraphy and paintings that Pu Yi took to Shenyang were, after all, a minority, as the majority remained in Changchun and were not taken away. In the rush, several dozens of crates containing calligraphy and paintings were left in the Xiaobailou of the palace of the Manchurian Regime. Pu Yi’s guards rushed to seize them, and many were subsequently sold in the cultural artifact markets of northeast China and Beijing. Some also ended up in the hands of Nationalist Party officials who came to receive them.

Qi Xu’s Grazing by the River was one such painting that remained in Changchun. It was later collected by Zhou Juemin, the commander of the Nationalist 25th Army, and after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, his name was included on the list of war criminals.

Not long after Zhou Juemin was released from prison after serving his sentence, he passed away. Later, in 1983, his wife Li Qianyu, in the names of both of them, donated the painting to the Palace Museum in Beijing. The painting finally returned to its original location. This donation coincided with the establishment of the Ancient Art Appraisal Group after years of interruption. 

After being appraised by several esteemed experts, it was unanimously recognized as the only surviving treasure by Qi Xu. According to the Xuanhe Huapu, or Xuanhe Catalogue of Paintings, which is a treatise on painting written during the Xuanhe reign of the Song Dynasty, there were 44 works produced by Qi Xu.

After nearly a century of trials and tribulations, this artwork also witnessed the turbulent changes in the nation and its history. This ancient masterpiece, passed down for nearly a thousand years, was once again ablaze with its brilliant radiance, becoming one of the national treasures that is prohibited from leaving the country and exhibited to the public.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Song Yimin, translator Yu Shougang, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.