Corridor Through the Pines

This small oval ink painting displays the subject matter and “one-corner” compositional device associated with Xia Gui (active 1180–1224) and other artists of the Southern Song painting academy. In “one-corner” compositions, the subjects of the painting are pushed to the corner or side. This school of professional painters maintained their popularity with the court and Hangzhou aristocracy into the early Ming period (1400s). A series of structures linked by a long, covered walkway are shown nestled into pine-covered mountain slopes overlooking a mist-shrouded valley. This somewhat limited and restrained view of nature reflects the shift toward the poetic, intimate, and more impressionistic vision of the Southern Song academy. Small works such as this, typically used as fan or album paintings, were kept in libraries for personal enjoyment, intended for intimate, private viewing.