Not many can afford a trip to Suzhou, China, also known as the Oriental Venice. "Gentlemen of Suzhou," an exhibition of Chinese paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), gives visitors a virtual tour of what the Garden City of China looked like during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), at the same time that Europe was experiencing its Renaissance.
Located in the second floor of the MFA, "Gentlemen of Suzhou" exhibits artwork by masters from the Ming Dynasty. There are five kinds of objects on display: ink paintings with short poems on paper, paintings on long vertical silk scrolls, paintings on long horizontal scrolls, calligraphy on fan-shaped gold paper and calligraphy on stationary made of bamboo.
During the Ming Dynasty, the national economy and the arts prospered in China. Suzhou, a city located in the east of China, fostered numerous accomplished scholars in its serene atmosphere. Most of these scholars chose not to become involved in bureaucracy, and instead enjoyed a hermitic lifestyle amid the tranquil mountains, waterways and gardens in Suzhou. They congregated regularly to exchange intellectual opinions or lived in complete solitude to fully experience the beautiful sceneries, compose poems and paint. Consequently, the main subject matter of artwork produced at this time is nature.
"Views of Tiger Hill" is an ink painting on paper by Xie Shichen. Xie depicts Tiger Hill as zigzag stone pathways climbing upward to the clouds. His portrayal of this frequently visited tourist site looks dramatically different from reality. However, the exaggeration of the hill represents the scholars' perspective on the vastness of nature. Human figures are present in the painting, but Xie only outlines them lightly, making it difficult for the viewer to perceive what the figures are doing in the painting. Tiger Hill stretches continuously on the scroll, and the misty atmosphere created by Xie's skillful use of ink invites an exploration the essence of nature.
Another highlight of the exhibition is "Four Leaves from an Album of Eight Landscapes and Matching Poems" by Shen Zhou, a prominent figure among the artists at the time in Suzhou. Shen had a leading role in the development of Wu School art (Wu is Suzhou's ancient name). He lived a simple life, far away from the materialism and distraction of capital cities. Shen excelled at calligraphy, painting and poetry, which were collectively called the "Three Perfections." He has been regarded as the Chinese counterpart of Leonardo da Vinci.
The lower half of one of the leaves in this piece depicts mountainous scenery with some trees, a hut and a river, all very common elements in Chinese landscapes. Once again, the viewer can also see a tiny man standing on the bank contemplating the view. These Chinese artists only used ink and brushes to delicately trace the outline of the views they saw; the enormity and scale of nature were considered more important. The details of scenes and human figures were depicted as expendable in order to create a simple and subtle tranquility as a reflection of the artist's inner peace.
Shen expresses his appreciation of nature through a 35-word poem placed neatly on the upper half of the paper. As he embraces the mountains, water and trees, inspiration rushes out; Shen cherishes the solitude and simplicity of his life in the Garden City, mocking how people struggled for money and fame in the materialistic world.
"Gentlemen of Suzhou" represents how the heavenly sceneries inspired Chinese intellectuals who lived humble and quiet lives far away from distractions. Their artwork portrays the deeply rooted belief in Chinese culture that nature is so powerful that human beings seem insignificant.
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Through July 12 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
617-267-9300
