Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Chan Buddhism influence the paintings of Liang Kai and Muqi?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Chinese art
A discussion of Chinese art, from the documentary China: West Meets East at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Chan Buddhism, which emphasizes sudden, intuitive enlightenment and the belief that the "Buddha essence" resides equally in all things, profoundly shaped the artistic approach of Southern Song painters Liang Kai and Muqi.12
Their work reflects this philosophy through several key characteristics:
- Spontaneity: Both artists moved away from the meticulous, professional standards of the imperial court toward a freer, more spontaneous style. This brushwork was intended to mirror the sudden, irrational experience of illumination central to Chan practice.12
- Subject Matter: While they were accomplished in traditional landscape painting, they are best known for Chan-inspired works. These include depictions of the school’s patriarchs and seemingly simple, disarmingly direct representations of nature, such as fruits, flowers, birds, and animals.12
- Suggestive Minimalism: Rather than being literally representational, their paintings often utilize broad surfaces of ink monochrome to suggest deeper truths. Muqi’s Six Persimmons is a quintessential example of this simple, evocative style.12
Liang Kai famously abandoned his prestigious court position to become a Chan recluse, while Muqi’s work was so deeply rooted in this philosophy that it was largely rejected by Chinese connoisseurs for its "rough" brushwork, though it became highly influential in Japan.2