The Red CliffAttributed to Wen Cheng-ming (1470-1559) Ming Dynasty Wen Cheng-ming, a native of Soochow in Kiangsu, was exceptionally talented in poetry and prose as well as painting and calligraphy, and he was a leader in Soochow painting circles. Living and painting to an old age, many of his works survive. This painting is based on Su Tung-p’o’s “Latter Ode on the Red Cliff”. Rendered in consecutive scenes within a single painting, they combine to form a continuous narrative. Thus, the main figure appears repeatedly in the scenes. In terms of both composition and technique, this work is very similar to another one by Wen Cheng-ming entitled Copy After Chao Po-su’s “Ode on the Latter Cliff”. However, the brushwork here is not as refined, so perhaps this was done as a copy by a later artist.
The Red CliffWen Cheng-ming (1470-1559)Ming Dynasty Wen Cheng-ming, style name Cheng-chung, sobriquet Heng-shan ju-shih, was a native of Ch’ang-chou, Kiangsu province. Highly accomplished in poetry, belles-lettres, calligraphy, and painting, he was a leader in the Soochow art world. When he was fifty-four he was appointed an official in the Hanlin Academy in Peking and helped compile the Veritable Records of the emperor Wu-tsung (r. 1505-1521). Later, tired of official life in Peking, he returned home and engaged in artistic activities until his death at age 90. The scroll depicts the Latter Ode to the Red Cliff written by the northern Sung poet, Su Tung-p’o. Wen Cheng-ming has imitated the blue-green style of T’ang dynasty (618-906) artists, but his coloring is more uniform, detailed, and moist, a change from the T’ang style which greatly enhances and complements his exquisite brushwork. The poem, Latter Ode to the Red Cliff, in the grass calligraphy of the famous calligrapher Chu Yün-ming, follows the painting. It was dated 1526. The painting and calligraphy were originally executed separately, but later they were mounted as one scroll.