From Southern Tang to Northern Song—The Developments of Painting History in the Jiangnan And the Szechwan Areas

This paper deals with the developments of painting history in the Jiangnan and the Szechwan areas from the southern Tang (937-975) to Northern Song (960-1127) periods. According to the author, the painters in the above-mentioned two areas in the Five Dynasties (907-960) were equally active. However, their interests were lightly different: the Jiangnan artists, especially, favored landscape, figure, bird/flower, and dragon/water genres; the Szechwan painters, particularly, liked Buddhist/Taoist, figures, bird/flower, and architecture themes. After the Northern Song unification, many artists from these two areas served at court in Kaifong. There they competed with each other. As historical documents reveal, the rivalry between painters form these two areas experienced three stages: In the early stage (before 1059), the power of the Szechwan artists prevails that of the Jiangnan. But the situation changed as time went on. The Jiangnan artists gradually won their power over their Szechwan colleagues in second stage (before 1074). And, finally, the Jiangnan artists’ influence overwhelmed that of the Szechwan painters at the end of the Northern Song period (before 1120). The shift of power from the hand of the Szechwan artists to that of the Jiangnan painters at court also reflects the change of taste of the Northern Song imperial family in different generations. However, while the works of the Jiangnan artists became popular and well received at court and among official scholars, the Szchwan painters remained influential in the artistic milieu outside the out till the beginning of the Southern Song period (before 1167).