Wang Ximeng (1096-1119) was a Chinese painter of the Northern Song dynasty in the early twelfth century. A student at the imperial court's painting academy, he caught the attention of Emperor Huizong, who taught him personally. He died at the age of 23, and his name remained almost forgotten until the twentieth century.
His only surviving work is the scroll A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, in blue-green ink and colour on silk, dated 1113, when he was about 18. According to the scroll's own inscription, the emperor received it with approval and passed it on to Cai Jing. Painted with azurite and malachite, it revives the blue-green landscape manner of the Sui and Tang dynasties, yet its composition is distinctly Song: volumetric mountains, unoutlined forms and dramatic lighting.
The scroll is over eleven metres long and depicts landscapes later identified with Mount Lu and Poyang Lake. Its importance lies in joining the older colour tradition with the taste of Huizong's court. It is now held in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Works (1)
Where to see the work
- The Palace Museum Beijing · 1