Mt. Taibo in the Style of Wang Meng

Also known as: Mt. T'ai-po in the Style of Wang Meng

About the Artwork

When a Chinese painter "imitated" a painting by a past master, the intention was never to produce an exact copy. Du Qiong, the Ming painter from Suzhou, is a case in point. The painting style of this handscroll is actually closer to that of Huang Gongwang (1269–1354) than to the style of Wang Meng (about 1301–1385). Both masters were active during the previous dynasty and are among the so-called Four Great Masters of the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). In this painting, the interplay of styles, including Du Qiong's own, contribute to an inner dimension that is more than visual. Mt. Taibo is located in the province of Zhejiang and is known for its scenic beauty. In this scroll, however, it is not depicted literally. The image is an ideal representation of mountains in southeastern China.

Inscriptions

Artist's inscription, signature, and 11 seals: [1 seal] Tung-yüan chai. Huang-ho-shan-ch'iao [Wang Meng] painted a painted called T'ai-po Mountain. Its brushwork is superior and admirable, which is very close to Yu-ch'en [Wang Wei, 699–759]. The cleverness of its composition, the maple groves and rustic temples, the inaccessible ravines and autumnal plateaus, the perilous peaks and strange rocks, etc., all seem to be so natural. The paper is only a little over eight feet, but the landscape has the range of a thousand miles. Once you open and note the contents, it is as if one were roaming among the mountain peaks enveloped in mist and clouds, and forgot the dusty world. When I first saw this, I was so mixed with excitement and joy that I could not take my hands off the painting. So I put it on the table, and tried my best to imitate it, forgetting sleeping and eating for about three months before it was completed. Although I do not dare to tread in the footsteps of Huang-ho shan ch'iao, I took great pains to capture his spirit in composition and colors. I do not know whether it would pass the judgment of the experts. On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, the seventh year of the Cheng-t'ung year [1442], inscribed by Tung-yüan, Tu Chiung. [2 seals] Yung-chia; Ching-chieh ming-men. [8 seals on painting] Tung-yüan chai; Ching-chieh ming-men; Yung-chia; Tu Ch'iung yin; Tung-yüan (repeated 5 times). (translated by WKH/LYSL); 3 colophons and 7 additional seals: 1 colophon and 2 seals of Chou Ting (1401–1487); 1 colophon and 2 seals of Wu K'uan (1435–1504); 1 colophon, dated 1655, and 2 seals of Lan Ying (1585–after 1664).

Exhibition history

Year in Review for 1968. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 29-March 9, 1969).

Quick Overview

Artist: Du Qiong (Chinese, 1396–1474)
Date: 1442
Medium: handscroll; ink and light color on paper
Dimensions: Painting: 29.8 x 527.1 cm (11 3/4 x 207 1/2 in.); Overall: 30.6 x 976.7 cm (12 1/16 x 384 1/2 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
Accession no.: 1968.195

Provenance

?–1968: (Mrs. Angela Tseng, New Hampshire, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1968–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.