Figures in a Landscape

The use of large expanses of unpainted silk to depict clouds, and the heavy use of wet over wet ink in other parts of the composition identify this landscape as a prime example of Zhe School painting style and technique. Despite efforts to identify the artist of this painting in textual sources, Zhang Ya remains an elusive figure. Even his exact name is unclear, as the artist’s seal contains an extra, partially obscured character not present in the artist’s signature. Furthermore, his “national” origin has also come under scrutiny.

While Zhang has typically been identified as a Chinese artist, probably of the late 16th to 17th centuries, some scholars have suggested a Korean origin for the painting. This assertion is based on the unusual, diagonal composition and “Wu” style linear brushwork used to render the mountains. Such assertions are countered by alternative arguments that the brushwork remains within observable norms of Chinese artists, and that the unusual format may result from the painting being altered –either as a fragment of larger painting or perhaps originally part of a folding screen. However, while the precise origin of this painting remains problematic, it is an instructive example of the kind of style used in literati painting of the Choson period.