On Wen Zhengming "After Zhao Bosu's Latter Ode to the Red Cliff"

This thesis analyses Wen Zhengming’s “After Zhao Bosu’s Latter Old to the Red Cliff”. Besides style analysis, it also discusses the importance of the masterpiece and its role in the tradition of Red Cliff paintings in China.

In Chinese painting history, the tradition of the Red Cliff theme was founded at the end of the Northern-Song dynasty. The theme illustrates Su Shi’s literature masterpieces Former and Latter Ode to the Red Cliff and Lyrics to Remembering Your Charm (Remembrance of the Tale of the Crimson Cliff. Although the Red Cliff paintings indicate Su Shi’s literature in almost all generations, due to different production contexts, each art piece actually contains different meaning and has its own significance. Take “After Zhao Bosu’s Latter Ode to the Red Cliff” for example. Although its composition reminds us of Ciao Zhongchang’s “Latter Old to the Red Cliff” at the end of the Northern-Song dynasty, and the name “Zhao Bosu” even suggests the style of the Southern-Song painter Zhao Bosu, however, this artwork’s own features actually make it stand out from former Red Cliff paintings. First of all, “After Zhao Bosu” presents a very different narrative structure from former ones. This narrative structure presents the plot of the Latter Ode story, which is about initiation—revisiting Red Cliff—return with a strange dream. Besides the narrative structure, “After Zhao Bosu” also conveys a very different message from the former Red Cliff paintings. While 12th century Red Cliff paintings focused on illustrating seclusion or nostalgia, Wen Zhengming let “journey” be the core interpretation of Su Shi’s Latter Ode to the Red Cliff. This interpretation not only reflects the booming travel culture in the 16th century Suzhou, it also influences the subject and style of other ensuing Red Cliff paintings.