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How did Xia Gui develop the landscape style of Li Tang?
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Xia Gui
Pure and Remote View of Streams and Mountains, detail of hand scroll in ink and paper by Xia Gui, early 13th century (Southern Song); in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Xia Gui, a leading master of the Southern Song dynasty, developed the landscape style of Li Tang by refining and expanding upon the foundational techniques established by his predecessor.
Key developments in Xia Guiās approach include:
- Brushwork Evolution: Xia adapted Li Tangās signature "ax stroke"āa technique used to render tactile, hewn rock surfacesāinto a broader, more expressive form known as the "large ax-cut" stroke. He also employed a "split brush" and worn brush tips to avoid overly refined or slick appearances, favoring spontaneity and rapid execution.1
- Compositional Simplification: While Li Tang moved away from the complex, monumental landscapes of the early Song toward a more intimate "lyric style," Xia furthered this by emphasizing dramatic juxtapositions of solid masses and empty voids. His works often utilize a diagonal division of space, focusing interest on specific elements while obscuring others in mist.1
- Atmospheric Depth: Xia mastered the use of subtle ink washes to render atmospheric perspective. By varying ink tones from deep blacks to evanescent grays, he created a sense of space and distance that surpassed the detail-oriented focus of earlier academy painters.1
- Literati Influence: Critics such as Dong Qichang noted that Xia added a sense of "simplicity" to Li Tangās foundation, incorporating intuitive qualities reminiscent of the "ink-plays" associated with Mi Fei and his son, Mi Youren.2