zheng yuan
Qu Ding: A Song Dynasty Pioneer of Landscape Painting Born around 1023 in what is now Sichuan Province, Qu Ding (屈鼎) emerged as a significant figure within the burgeoning landscape painting tradition of the Northern Song dynasty. His life and artistic journey offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolving aesthetic sensibilities of the era – a period marked by both political upheaval and unprecedented cultural flourishing. While details surrounding his early life remain somewhat sparse, it’s understood that Qu Ding received his foundational training from Yan Wengui (顏文貴), a highly respected m…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of zheng yuan's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
