spscln n E $ HIB IT ION
O F A N C I E N T C H I N E S E PA I N T I N G S .
INTRODUCTION .
The history of the art of all Eastern Asia centres
about that of the Chinese Empire . Japan , Co rea . Mon
golia , Thibet, and , to a less extent. Nepaul, Turk i stan ,
Burmah , Siam, and Tonquin , a great ci rcle of neighbo ring na tions , have , for centuries , drawn inspi ration fromthe a rt and culture of the centra l power . Even uponIndia and Persia it would be possible to prove a strongChinese reaction . n Of an independent. influence fromIndia , it must be sa id tha t, though strong and specia las regards the subjects of Buddhist art, it has had muchless cfieet than the Chinese upon the form of that art in
all these Asiatic countries. For ti .em China occup ies theplace which G reek a rt did , at the time of Christ, fo 1 themany peoples grouped about the Mediten anean Sea .
Chinese a 1 t, even in its religious forms , has been preeminently the art of pa inting. I n India on the southwest, and in Corea on the northeast
,the finest specimens
of Buddhist art took form in sculpture . But in China ,after the sixth century at least , Chinese work finds itstruest power in the a rt of the brush , of delineation , of in
scription , of the blending of thought with the pictoria l
suggestions of na ture . Primarily , it is the art of theha 1mony of the drawn line . It could thus represent inthe days of its greatest fa ith many situa tions and feel ingstha t lay be\ ond the reach of Buddhist expression else
ANC'I ENT CH INESE PAINTI NG’S'
.
where . Drama tic incidents, the relief of grouped figures
aga inst landscape backgrounds, the related idea li sms of
man and of na ture , the imaginative suggestions of color ,the a tmosphere and clouding and l ight in transcendent
aspects of the world and of heaven , all these were opento it a s never to themeagre severities of sculpture on stone
facades.
$
J The art of Japan , in many respects the most sensitiveflower tha t sprang from this continenta l stem, combined the
best traditions , both of Korean sculpture and of Chinesepa inting . But in pa inting it must be admi tted that therehave been few supreme forms in Japan which were not
more strongly and simply used in ea rl ier Chinese models .
I n the Tosa and Sa o schools we find the closes t approx imation to a purely nationa l manner. But in Buddh istpa inting especia lly , the islanders closely followed conti
nental influences. Thus a study of Chinese a rt i s an
essentia l introduction to the complete understanding of
Japanese .
The earliest form of Chinese pictorial art which we can
trace , and wh ich belongs a t least to the period from the
second century before Christ to the fourth or fifth after ,is secula r in subject, depicting in outl ine or in silhouette
the l ives and doings of k ings and their subjects , the por
tra i ts of grea t sages and sta tesmen , much as we find it
carved on Assvriun rel iefs or the walls of Egyptiantemples .
From the fifth century onward , th is secular art, bound
up wi th the ideals of pure Confucianism, w as for the most
pa rt supplanted by the aesthetic cla ims of the rapidly
Sp1 eadingBuddhist religion . The greatest Chinese masters
of the sixth , seventh, and e ighth centuries were pa inters
of Buddhist a ltar-pieces , and decorators of the wa lls of
large temples . The culmination of this art was at the
INTR0D U0TI ON .
beginning of the eighth century , when the emperors of
the Tang dynasty had extended thei r sovereignty nearly as
far west as Arabia , and had established a system of
administration , of competitive examinations , an eager
scholarship , and simple , lofty idea ls , such as become
therea fter the crowning light and the centra l note of
Chinese culture .
But a third grea t period of Chinese pa inting , tha t in
which i t rose to its culmina tion, was the glory of the Sung
dynasty from the eleventh centurv to the thirteenth. This
was the cri tica l age of Chinese culture . It is not gener
a lly understood in the West tha t the greatest minds of
Sung schola rs , statesmen , poets , artists , priests , all were
a iming to free their creative individua l i ty from the dead
eningformulae of Confucian tradition . All previous cen
turies are but prepa ratory to this suddenly awakeningself-consciousness ; all subsequent ones but a registry of
the melancholy results of its final fa i lure . But during its
brief continuance i t blossomed into a l ife of illumination ,analogous to tha t of Athens under Pericles , and Florence
under the Medici . For a moment all tha t is best and
solid in Chinese tradition blends with the glow of Bud
dhist idea ls , and with a new appreciation of individua lity
in man , and as reflected into nature . The key to this$
conception was a new philosophy which fused together the
h itherto separate principles and cults of Confuciani sm,
Taoism, and Buddhism, into a single new synthetic system of ideal ism, domina ted by poetry and symbolism,
which saw na ture as the mi rror of spirit, which prizedindiv iduality as the key of both character and crea tion ,
and which drove all the arts and sciences and codes of
sta tesmanship abreast along a broad pa thway of new ex
periment and of free reconstruction .
It was thus at this mostgenia l period of Chinese culture
ANCIEN T CHINESE PAINTINGS.
that Buddhism in its highest positive stimulating potency
came nearest to the hearts of the people . I t did so by
enshrining itself within the temple of poetry , and amid themusic of line and color . The bare abstraction of a beavco ly harmony , which Confucius had asserted w ithout inter
preta tion. was ripened by it into a clear recogni tion of
harmony as the l ife of the unfold ing spi ri t . It is an ori
euta lHegel ianism. It mak es art the true type of l ife . It
sees infi nite analogy and symbol and co-operation through
out the kingdoms of crea ted form. For i t there is no abyss
between man and nature,or between these two and the
divine l ife of the sa ints . There is no subtle suggestion in
the spring of tree forms , no massive o r forbidding strengthin rocky glens, no magic of the union between wa terfa lls
and mists , which should not become to contemplation con
crete ca tegories of the spiritua l life at which religion a ims .
For such transcendent conceptions the art of poetry a lonewould seem adequate ; yet such is the flexibil ity and sub
tletyoforienta l painting tha t it, too , dares invade this region
0 1 1 the w ings of its i ridescent color and buoyant l ine .
But within the church i tself the most remarkable use of
pa inting sprang from the conception and the needs of the
ao -called exoteric Buddhism. The difference between
the southern exoteric and agnostic Buddhism, so frs
quently described , and the mystica l evolutionary Church
of the N orth , which has inspired the loftiest li tera ture ,sta tesmanship, and nature-appreciation through the whole
East, is very great and rea l . The former dea lt w ith man
only , wi th a manhood that i s to be feared and despised ,w ith a salvation tha t is itself a nega tion of all va lues .
The latter dea l t with the undeveloped God la tent in man ,with society as a perfectible brotherhood, wi th na ture as
an equa lly significant product of div ine spiri t, with art as
the expression of that hidden sympathy between na ture
INTRODUCTI ON.
and the soul. with worship as the organiza tion of a l ife
ofperfect love and benevolence .
Whether the former be the primitive sta te of Buddhism,
as some schola rs assert. is ra ther a matter for historians
t han for the student of orienta l cul ture . Their procedure
would be analogous to tha t of an Asia tic student of
Christianity who , having a scerta ined from meagre docu
ments the condition of the Church in i ts first century ,should thereupon disrega rd the wea lth and power of its
subsequent evolution, i ts part in European history , its
capaci ty for adapta tion to the infini te needs of human
ity , as so much spurious perversion and accumulation .
Christiani ty and Buddhism as well are all tha t they have
become .
Two grea t schools of this lofty esoteric rel igion ha ve
ex isted in China and iF J apan ; one relying chiefly upon
works and sacraments , the other upon contemplation .
The former i s sti ll represented in Japan by the Tendai
and Shingon sects . These preserve a ri tua l prescribed by
superior intelligence as the key both to knowledge and topower . It a ims at more than sa lvation, the human sa int
ship of the Arha t , namely , at the esta te of a Bodhisa ttwa ,a transcendent love which desires self-development solely
as a means to the whole world ’ s sa lva tion . The latter
conce ives of thought as the true solvent of th ings , and
out of i ts potent depths would recrvstallize the world .
I ts sa ints are Rakan , or Arha t , men who in the flesh bva life. of this inner absorption ha ve won power overnature , over the w i lls ofmen, and of the elementa l world .
For them the se -ca lled magic is only an incident of thesuperior potency of thought . I n spi te of i ts benevolentuse , a sl ight tinge of selfishness a ttaches to their con
tented isola tion .
The pa intings which a re to be described in this cata
8 AN CIEN T CHINESE PAI N TINGS .
logue were executed in this golden period of art for theZen sect in China , whence they were brought by i ts p ioneers to their first temples erected in Japan , wherein thevhave since rema ined . They represent the magica l deeds
of the grea t Rakan,in contempla tion , in transfigura tion ,
in thei r power over na ture , anima l s , and men , in their
benevolence even to deni zens of the lower world , in thei rcommunica tion w ith the powers of the spi ritua l spheres
,
especiallv with the great'
Bodhisattwa . Thus we have
here a most interesting record of wha t was contempo
raucously believed of the mystica l practices of these
saints .
The subject of the Five Hundred Rakan , a favorite onein the Zen sect, is variously expla ined as referring to a
group of apostles , who were the persona l d isciples of
Buddha , or to the concourse of prelates who composed
the first northern council , or as a fortui tous colloca tion of
the typica l deeds of Rakan , made under the influence ofChinese imagination . I am inclined to the la tter v iew .
Such pictures were used to hang about temple or lectureha ll on specia l ceremonia l occasions , either to stimulate
the neophyte ’s aspi ra tion toward Rak anship, or to increase
the potency of his contempla tive prayer .
This set of pa intings has been a ttributed va riouslyfrom early days in Japan , now to the pen of Zengetsu
Da ishi , now to the hand of Ririomin . The former , a cel
ebrated priest , pa inter , and poet, lived at the end of the
Tang dynasty in the tenth century . His style has moreof indiv idua l strength than of idea l beauty , and belongs
to one who is essentially a crea tor in a period of transi
tion . That i s one reason why $ do not believe these pa int
ings to date from his epoch . Also at that day there was1 10 such rich trea tment of landscape background as these
suggest .
I 00 UCTION. 9
li ldomla , ou the other hand, was one of the r ipest and
broadest characters in that most crea tive and individual
isticperio dofChinese history , the Sung dynasty . Though
never a priest, and with all the knowledge and ideals of
the typica l Chinese gentleman behind him, he combines
with these a reverence for and insight into esoteric Bud
dhism, which enable him to become the greatest pictorial
expoueutof its thought . He thus stands at the meeting
point of the two currents in Chinese genius , and fuses
into a single conception the wea lth den’
ved from both .
Though we are ignorant of the da tes ofRi riomin’s birth
and death , we can roughly conj ecture tha t he lived from
about 1 050 to 1 1 1 5 of our era . I t is known that he took
hismaster’s degree in the year 1 075 , from which time to
1 1 01 be discharged honorably his officia l duties at the
Chinese court. For a long time he was reader and cen
sor for all books offered for publica tion. During this in
terval be ranked high among the advanced thinkers of theage, being an intimate friend of the historian Shiba , thepoet Toba , and the reformer Oansek i . His le isure be
devoted to pa inting ; and at first , like a true Chinese
gentleman , he cared most for landscape , flowers , and
horses . Also he loved to compose complete scenes from
Chinese pa lace life . I n the expression of character , emotion, and action, he was considered supreme . Later inlife he studied the idealistic philosophy and mystic practices of Taoism. He a lso became intima te with Buddhist
priests , who stimula ted his imagination wi th the vast
wealth of their spiritua l conceptions , of whose splendors
be determined to render h imself the exponent . He studied
the masterp ieces of an earlier age, especia lly the incomparable Buddhist pa intings by Godosbi , which were the
crown of t he Tang dynasty ; but his previous tra ining
enabled him $0 contribute a k nowledge of the fulness
ANCI EN T CH I NESE PAIN TI NGS .
of na ture , a power of expressive drawing , and a delica teplay of colors under the effect of atmosphere , before 11 1 1known in religious art. I n the year 1 1 0i , he retired to
his mounta in villa of Riominzan , The Mounta in of the
Dragon’s Brightness ,$
which he had bought in the year1 078 , and where now without interruption he devoted
himself to the loftiest art. His rea l name was Hak uj i ,and his literary appella tion Korin but the title by which
he is best known in history , Ririomin , or in modern manda rin , Li Lung Ming , was derived from tha t of his heloved retreat. Of his persona l ta stes we know somethingfrom contemporary record . The book Hodenshu says
of him,
$ Whenever the wea ther was good , he went out
wi th a flask of wine , and spent the day sitting on rock s,and ca lmly gazing at running streams .
$
Guahin says,He extended his hands widely to get hold of bells, urns,
and other old a ltar utensils , with which he decorated his
whole house .
$
The aesthetic character of Ririomin’
s work is perfection
of style , a ripe mastery over elegance of line , an infi
nitely varying , unexpected spacing and massing , which
remind us of nothing somuch as the Ph idian ma sterp ieces .
This qua li ty of synthetic l ine is dominant in the work of
his pupils and followers , and origina tes a school of Bud
dhist pa inting which lasts for a century , and then, passing
over into Japan, is transmitted to the Takuma fami ly .
The question now a rises , can we believe the present series
to be from the hand of Ririomin himself $ At first sight
i t appears that the pictures are not. all by the same hand ,and that they are unequa l in meri t . Also , in some , the
composition appears to be finer than the execution. Espec
ially in the back grounds do we notice a fa lling off in
power . Therefore , a l though we know tha t Ririomin did
execute a series of the five hundred Rakan , we cannot
I TI$ODUCT$ON .
believe It identica l with this. $ et the conception , the
color, the line, and themethods of expression are so close
to those of themaster. and are so characteristic of Sung
work in the twelfth century , that we can be sure we have
here a very important work of the Ririomin school . I t i s
even possible that a few of the finest specimens are from
his own hand, and it is probable tha t many others a re
founded upon his des igns . We sha ll be w ithin the limits
of safety in regarding this series as made up of works bv
his followers, and executed at different times during the
course of the twelfth century . A fading inscription in
gold upon one of the pictures registers the fact that they
were presented to a Chinese temple in memory of the
ancestors of the Kio fami ly in the year 1 1 75 . This has
been considered the date of presentation merely ; but, i f
my estima te be correct , it may well be that of the execu
tion of some of the specimens. I t is sa id tha t they werebrought to Japan by a Chinese Zen priest in the yea r1 246 . It is quite poss ible tha t gaps in the origina l series
were filled at tha t time , as it i s clea r tha t later a few
specimens of Ming work were added . It was in thethirteenth century that the first grea t Zen monasteries o f
Japau were founded , and the Zen pictoria l school of Rir iomin transmitted to the Takuma . These p ictures werepreserved in the temple Kenchop ofKamakura ; a fterwarda t Sowunj i of Odawa ra , whence they were removed bvHideyoshi in 1 590 tesDa ito k uj i in Kioto , where they havebeen treasured unti l the present yea r . This temple
, now
sadly in need of repa 1 t , has been permitted by the Japanese Government to dispose of these pa intings , and hasaccepted the invitation of this museum to give them a firs t
public exhibition to the western world .
Their genera l aesthetic chara cteristics are , first , a grea tva riety a nd wea l th in composition , each embodying a n
ANCI EN T CH INES PAIN TI NGS .
individua l idea of l ine and mass unl ike anything else inthe rea lm of art ; second , the more specia l line -beauty of
drapery in the ma in groups which compose a subtle visua l
music ; third , the fine oppositions of these to landscape
backgrounds w ith their whirl ing , subordinate line -svstemsof tree and cloud ; fourth , the richness and delicacy o f
their color-schemes cut by the cross-pa tches on the Bud
dhist gowns , and glowing from the low toned silks li k e
flowers . The remarkable degree of the ir preserva tionindica tes the reverent ca re with which thev have beenkept . I n few pa intings of thei r age do we rece ive sm
-h
perfect impressions of tone . Consider ing both thei r sub
jcet and their form, we may say tha t few such importa ntrema ins of ea rly Ch inese art have been seen in the West,1nd , indeed , tha t few such ex ist anywhere . Of the series
forty-four arc hung in this exhibition .
ERN QST FRANC ISCO FENOLLOSA ,
Cura tor of the Depa rtment of J apanese
CATALOGUE .
In this picture we have , probably , the intro duction to
the whole series . We a re, so to speak , set in the
midst of a domestic scene in Chinese life ; while
the approach of the five Rakan through the clouds
above seems to bring the subject down to i ts nor
mal connection with ea rth . The specta tor is supposed to be in the a ir with the Rakau, and w i ththa n looking into the distant palace courts below .
I n the nearer apartment, which is bui lt out ove r alotus pond , we see a Buddhist priest officia ting
with incense , standing before an improvised a l tar ,among whose furnishings flowers are the mostimportant feature . Ba ck of the priest bend inreverence two Chinese gentlemen , ev idently headsof the family , wi th whom are two ladies wi thhands ra ised in prayer , and a nurse with a baby inher a rms . I t is not unna tural to suppose this arepresentation of the fami ly of the donor of thepictures , probably of the Kio family before mentioned. The apartment seems to be tha t of a
palace ra ther than a temple , and the gathering one
for the periodica l worship of ancestors ; but theincident itself wonderfully illustrates tha t peculia r
,
brief, and fertile period in Chinese history, when
a ll tha t was best in Chinese life blended wi th thereverence of Buddhist idea ls . Beh ind the ladiesand in front of a screen pa inted wi th a landscape
,
two figures approach , one apparently a bea rded
ANCIEN T CH INESE PAIN TINGN.
philosopher, who looks w ith some doubt upon the
unusua l ceremony which his younger compan ion
expla ins . I n the ha ll beyond , servants are pre
pa ring a feast on a long a lta r- l ike table set aga inst
the wa l l in front of elabora te pa intings of the
Rak an themselves . We may conjecture the sig
nificance of these pa intings to be that the owner of
the pa lace has constructed an apartment in which
the spiri ts of the sa ints sha ll consider themselves
over the most welcome guests . The piety of this
thought and the blending which it suggests between
human fami ly life and the full commun ion of the
sa ints , is beautiful and sign ificant . The faces of
the rea l Rakan , who sweep to their hosts on therapid clouds of thought , are strong and portra it
l ike .
llere are the five Rakan in relaxation ; the three
above si tting on a rock in a bamboo grove,the two
below rega rding the treasures of an itinerant Arabmerchant . Of those sea ted , one holds in his handtablets of scripture , another handles idly hisrosary , and the third , l ike St. Francis , wa tches
lovingly the fl ight of his $ little brothers ,$the
spa rrows , among the w inged bamboo leaves . The
reposeful curves of this horizonta lly disposed group
contra st with the fan- l ike spring of the stra ight
bamboo stems , and with the vertica l lines of the
standing figures by which the feeling of the stemsis prolonged below . To European consciousness ,the upper ha lf of the picture , w ith its fine rel ief of
heads aga inst the far-away ri’
ver background ,would seem complete ; yet this artist has known
how to weld the passage into a larger whole con
Ca lTALOG’ UE’
.
sistent with the upright length of the picture .
This radica l qua l i ty in the standing Rakan i s inten
sified by the red , black , and luminous green of
the ir garments , which stand out aga inst the quiet ,pea rly tones of the robes above .
Those travellers in Japan who are fami l iar with the
legend of Benten , the dragon-goddess of the sea ,
who haunts the cave at the foot of the promontoryof Enoshima . will he astonished to see th is mysti
cal trea tment of a simi lar thought in an old Chinesepa inting . Four of the Rakan , accompanied by a
Bodhisa ttwa and an elementa l a ttendant , drifta cross space i n the hea rt of a fiery cloud , through
whose rifts are seen gl impses of the savage coa st
with i ts blue -gray sky . From a cave in the per
pend icular rock below them issues the flood of a
subterranean tide , tossing its freed fury into scr
pentine crests , amid whose commotion sits the
fifth Rak an in trance , l ike a sculptured pyramid ,on the outswept base of his flowing robes , dignifiedas a Buddha , w i th deep breath , the body swayinglightly backwa rd , head thrown forwa rd , handsdrooping in the lap l ike a flower ; while aga inst thetranscendent l ines of its drapery plays the counterpoint of a great white serpent-god , who, risingfrom the froth at the Rak an’
s side , leans lovinglythe bulk of his silvery body aga inst the latter ’sback , and , ra i sing his neck in a fine curve
,gazes
upward from lowered head into his master’s placidcountenance . A soft halo beh ind the Rakansoftens the colors of the rock with its translucentdisc , which at o rcc proves the Buddhahood immanent in the man , and, set in the very angle of the
ANCI EN T CHI NESE PAINTIN J -S'
.
ca ve roof, blends , wha t would otherwise be the
ha rshness of its l ines , with the upper and the lower
groups . The sweep of drapery in the foremost
Rakan of the cloud , the deep purples and blacks
and stone blues which support the ma ssive brown
head of the figure behind him, and the classic
poise of the figure with the elementa l , strengthen
both in l ine and in color the supreme qua l ity of
the transfigured Rakan , and render this picturehardlv short of the power and beauty of Ririomin
at his greatest .
Here the Rakan are rel ieved in l ight aga inst the gloom
of a wild glen . Four of this compactly balanced
group are engaged in specia l prayer , whose potency
brings from the hell of desire , a Preta , or hungryspirit, whose emacia ted form, brea thing flame from
i ts mouth , bends in humble acceptance of the ricewhich the centra l Rakan doles with a ladle from
his alms-bowl . Doubtless this is s ome grea t soulworthy of such mystic favor , though temporarily
bound to the horrors of the purga tory where it ex
piates some sin of excess . The a ttention of thosein prayer seems riveted upon the bowl , as i f therice , which slips through the Preta
’s gaunt fingers ,requi red for his use some demateria l izing charm.
Behind the group stands the sweet figure of a boyin a blue-black dress, who , leaning hi s head aga instthe rock , a ids the ha rmonic rhythms of the chant bytapping on a small golden bell . The amethystand chrysoprase and pale porphyry of the centra lfigure , passing into topaz yellow and the cherry fireof opa ls, burn aga inst the black masses of angula r
rock , and the ta ll brown pine wh ich seems to shoot
ANCI EN T CH INESE PAIN TINGS .
the bamboo grove are characteristi c of Chinese
ga rdens . The play of cloud through all parts of
the p icture , as in many others of the series , is an
accompaniment of the superna tura l act, and a lso
serves to blend the masses of the composition .
Aesthetically the greatest qua l ity of the pa inting
i s an undulating, aspi ring , flame- l ike system of
l ines , which , rooted in the angular , gravish , humanmasses in the lower left corner , courses a long thel ine of the censer , swells through the liv ingcurves
of the Bodhisattwa’
s ra iment, and whirls into the
emera ld and ruby of the upper Rakan , where i t
meets the lapping tongues of the descending clouds .
The vertica l l ines of the vermilicn columns, though
broken , seem to hold this upwa rd motion as in a
frame . The draw ing and the characterization of
the scholars , especially in the heads , is not un
worthv of a Holbein , or a D iirer , and suggests thepow er of Chinese portra it pa inting a t its ripest .
The dramatic incident i s here patent the transfiguration of one of the five swept up from the wildness
of earthy tree and cloud into the soft descending
clouds of heaven , where the very lines of his gauzy
drapery seem to be lengthened into curves of sn
pernatural beautv , while from his head issues a
slight spray of a spiritual substance l ike water,which separa ting into two streams , follows the
div ine grace and benignity of movement of the
hands , nea r which they break into the a i r in fingers
of spray . The angularity and rough curva ture of
the figures on ea rth , the strength of drawing in the
rocks , and especia lly in the gnarled tree , the leap
of the waterfa ll , the fine preserva tion of the lower
CATALOG UE .
part of the picture , and the jewel-l ike intrusion of
the two small passages of red, enter notably into
the striking originalitv and impression of this
work .
This represents the five Rakan crossing a turbulentstream,
—one upon a reed , one upon his straw hat,one upon a black cloak , one upon his staff, and the
fifth upon a tree trunk . A strong w ind playing on
the sa ils of their ample ga rments drives them
a long through a moving medium of mingled cloud
and sea , and twists up the folds a nd patches of
their draperies into knotted and snaky line systems,
which open the eve to the possibil ity of violent
rhvthms as pure and individua l and crea tive as
those we have learned to understand in the re
pose of classic sculpture . I t is a new species ofpictoria l idea . Only the upper Rakan stands nu
moved amid the tossingmasses of the picture , as
if be accompanied the others , rather through the
benigni ty of his ca lm contemplation , than by the
impact'
of any terrestria l motor . His color , too ,is like an Opa lescent dream ; and the soft grays
of the three below , shot wi th ligh tning jags of
black , serve to throw up into jewel- l ike intensity ,the reds and greens of the lower figure .
Though lacking the solidity of composition , and the
grace and peace of the preceding pictures, thisreal izes a pictoria l idea no less clear and strong .
The amorphous rock masses , and the pre-diluvian
tree seem like splinters from some primeva l world ,and from its i ron coils human figures emerge , asl ife from chaos. The cleft in the centre , where
ANCI EAT CHINESE PAIN TI NGS.
boils a torrent , is as if rent by recent ea rthquak e ;and the angula r unsoftened lines of the garments
hold their place among the rugged surroundings ,and contrast w ith the delicate feminine curves of
the Tenu in , or angel , who descends bea ring a dish
of heavenly flowers to their forbidding sphere , in
the folds of a soft mauve cloud . The unconven
tienni , nervously drawn whirls of this cloud , even
in its softest portions , i s a supreme model for theworld’s designers . There is nothing in Westernart to compare w ith the dragon-l ik e trunk of thea lmost leafless tree . The figure w ith red-brownflesh behind it is a Ten or Deva , beloncr ino l ike
D o $
the angel , to the world of higher elementa l spirits .
Here is another group of the Rakan in repose, watch
ing an Arab trader who presents, in a sha llowbowl , a tree of coral , which seems to become a live
wi th rosy buds at the ends of its branches . Such
a l ight miracle , though it a ttracts the a ttention of
all, seems to be easi ly performed by the singleRakan who prays with one hand on his beads .
The fine figure of a servant behind brings in a
bundle of Scripture rolls , wrapped in a bamboo
covering. To the left of the trader is his beast
of burden . Above , we have a magnificent wild
tree blending w ith an equa lly wi ld sky . The sombre
coloring of the garments in which no red occurs
and the rich tones of the landscape are noticeable
in this work .
1 0. I n this picture the Rakan are grouped about the
rocky pathway to a Buddhist temple , near the
pillar of which stands the figure of a Deva . The
CATALOG’UE’
.
s istent with the upright length of the picture .
This radica l qua l ity in the standing Rakan is interi
si lica by the red , black , and luminous green of
their garments , which stand out aga inst the quiet ,pearly tones of the robes above .
These travellers in Japan who are fami liar with the
legend of Benten , the dragon-goddess of the sea ,
who haunts the cave at the foot of the promontoryof Enosb ima . wil l he astonished to see th is mysti
cal trea tment of a simi lar thought in an old Chinese
pa inting . Four o f the Rakan , accompan ied by a
Bodhisa ttwa and an elementa l a ttendant , drift
across space in the heart of a fiery cloud , through
whose rifts a re seen glimpses of the savage coast
with i ts blue -gray sky . From a cave in the per
pendicular rock below them i ssues the flood of a
subterranean tide , tossing its freed fury into ser
pcntine crests , amid whose commotion sits the
fifth Rak an in trance , l ike a sculptured pyramid ,on the outswept base of his flowing robes , dignifiedas a Buddha , w i th deep brea th , the body swaying
lightly backward , head thrown forward , hands
drooping in the lap l ike a flower ; while aga inst thetranscendent l ines of its drapery plays the counterpoint of a great white serpent-god , who , risingfrom the froth at the Rak an
’
s side , leans lovingly
the bulk of his silvery body aga inst the la tter ’s
back , and , rai sing his neck in a fine curve , gazesupward from lowered head into his master ’s placidcountenance . A soft halo behind the Rakansoftens the colors of the rock with i ts translucentdisc , which at or ce proves the Buddhahood immanent in the nran , and , set in the very angle of the
ANCIEN T CI I I NESE PAINTINoW'
.
cave roof, blends , wha t would otherwise be the
harshness of its lines , with the upper and the lower
groups . The sweep of drapery in the foremost
Rakan of the cloud , the deep purples and blacks
and stone blues which support the massive brown
head of the figure beh ind him, and the classic
poise of the figure with the elementa l , strengthen
both in line and in color the supreme qua l ity of
the transfigured Rakan , and render this picturehardlv short of the power and beauty of Ririonrin
at his grea test .
Here the Rakan are relieved in l ight aga inst the gloom
of a wild glen . Four of this compactly balanced
group are engaged in special prayer , whose potency
brings from the hell of desire , a Preta , or hungry
spirit, whose emaciated form, breathing flame from
i ts mouth , bends in humble acceptance of the ricewhich the centra l Rakan doles with a ladle fromhis alms-bowl . Doubtless this is s ome great soulworthy of such mystic favor , though temporarily
bound to the horrors of the purgatory where i t ex
pietes some sin of excess . The a ttention of thosein prayer seems r iveted upon the bowl , as i f the'
rice , which slips through the Preta’s gaunt fingers ,
required for his use some demateria l izing charm.
Behind the group stands the sweet figure of a boyin a blue-black dress, who , leaning hi s head aga instthe rock , a ids the harmonic rhythms of the chant bytapping on a sma ll golden bell . The amethystand chrysoprase and pa le porphyry of the centra l
figure , passing into topaz yellow and the cherry fireof opals, burn aga inst the black masses of angular
rock , and the ta ll brown pine which seems to shoot
CATALOGUE .
from its stony roots , li k e a rocket , to the top of
the picture , where it bursts into a shower of droop
ing, feathery branches , whence emerges one long
dragon- like a rm to reach to the group below its
sympathetic a id . The play of mysterious cloud
stra ta among the glint of these branches softens
their gloom ; and the curving line of ragged rocks
at the bottom is , perhaps, the most conspicuous ex
ample in a rt of the principle , that a tota l average
line-va lue may be rea l ized in terms of deta ils which
most conspicuously break it .
The subj ect of th is pa inting is one of the most inter
esting in the series . The upper group of figures
consi sts of four Rakan standing in the robes of ful l
priesthood , and of the fifth who has sea ted himselfupon a green throne inlaid with gold lotus , andplaced in the corridor of a temple whose pillars andra i ling are seen behind . There transfigured , he
has pulled aside the bronze skin of his face , as ifi t were a mask , and revea led beneath the luminous
fea tures of the eleven~headed Kwannon . W i th inthe Ra k an this highest of the Bodhisa ttwa has
been tempora ri ly inca rna ted . The figure in front ,holding a golden censer in the act of worship , appea rs to be a Chinese prince robed as a priest .The figure in black behind him is tha t of an ord inarv priest in prayer . The two men in the fore
ground , apparently Chinese philosophers or schola rs ,who hold in their hands an outline portra i t of the
Rakan which they have drawn, seem now to turnawav from hi s manifesta tion in wonder or in seep
ticism. The sma l l boy in front holds an inkstand .
Behind , the water-worn rock of lapis-lazul i and
ANCI EN T CH INESE PAIN TINGS.
the bamboo grove are characteristic of Chinese
gardens . The play of cloud through all parts of
the picture , as in many others of the series , is an
accompaniment of the superna tura l act, and a lso
serves to blend the masses of the composi tion .
Aesthetica lly the greatest quali ty of the pa inting
i s an undula ting, aspi ring , fl ame- l i k e system of
lines , which , rooted in the angula r , grav ish , human
masses in the lower left corner , courses a long thel ine of the censer, swells through the liv ing curves
of the Bodhisattwa’
s ra iment, and whirls into the
emera ld and ruby of the upper Rakan , where i t
meets the lapping tongues of the descending clouds .
The vertica l lines of the vermilicn columns , though
broken , seem to hold this upwa rd motion as in a
frame . The drawing and the characterization of
the scholars , especiallv in the heads , is not nu
worthv of a Holbein , or a D i i rer , and suggests thepow er of Chinese portra it painting a t its ripest .
The dramatic incident is here patent ; the transfigura
tion of one of the five swept up from the wildness
of earthy tree and cloud into the soft descending
clouds of heaven , where the very lines of his gauzy
drapery seem to be lengthened into curves of su
pernatural beauty ,while from his head issues a
slight spray of a spiritual substance l ike water,which sepa ra ting into two streams , follows the
divine grace and benignity of movement of the
hands , nea r which they break into the a ir in fingers
of spray . The angularity and rough curva ture of
the figures on earth,the strength of drawing in the
rocks , and especia lly in the gnarled tree , the leap
of the waterfa ll , the fine preserva tion of the lower
26 ANCIENT CH INESE PAINTINGS.
The Rakan seem to twine themselves about thetrunk of a gnarled tree in a mounta in chasm
,
through whose gap breaks a distant view of lake
and waterfa ll . But the extraordina ry thingis the
qua li ty of the atmosphere , clear and deep , shotwi th spi ral ly ascending clouds , and cut wi th bands
of light-like pa ths traversing all space , uponwhich are hurrying winged bat-like elementa l
spirits as messengers , carrying in the ir hands
each a casket. One of these lines descends and
ends wi th the group of the Rakan . The beautyof this mystica l suggestion of space and cloud
and magnetic ray i s sta rtl ing but i t is a revelation
'
to see represented in Chinese pa inting,eight
hundred years old,a recognized fact of mysti c in
tercommunication in a manner much like tha t
asserted so posi tively by modern theosophists
and actually cla imed as visible by ela irvovants.
S itting before this mi ra cle , and forgetting the grand
eur of those tha t have preceded , i t seems for themoment to surpass all prev ious conceptions of
religious beauty and sublimi ty . Four of the
Rakan , with two Deva attendants , stand at the
bottom i n symmetrica l groups of three . Thecentral Rakan has been lifted into Space on an
altar of t\\ 0 confluent blue clouds , where he sitscross-le ged as a ca lm Buddha aga inst a palp i
tating background of blue fire, into which other
tongues of the pa ler cloud lap from either side .
An enormous si lver ha lo , like a full moon , domi
nates his head and figure , and all but oblitera tes
the myriad flash ings of the etherea l azures. As
if on the edges of a second ha lo of la rger radius ,
the cerulean spaces are broken by thin lightning
like strea k s of red and white flame , whose many
serpent tongues are sucked to the centre as if on
the breath o f a cyclone . But the domina ting ,mystica l feature is the system of intertw istedmagnetic rays tha t i cues from the top of the
Ra k an’
s head , a t first a slender spira l of white
fire, curling as smoke from censer , but shortly
expanding into an unresolvable tangle , whence
radia te three la rger , undula ting rays , as if of
magnetic communica tion with the cardina l points
of space . A third eye set vertica l in the fore
head proves a Buddha ’
s transcendent intelligence .Tire dark brown and gold of h is superbly pyramidally
-a rranged robe strike a wonderful , solemnchord wi th the red and blue ti res , and contra stwi th the gorgeous coloring of the terrestria l ga rments below , in which blues shot wi th red still
predomina te . One must say tha t in the whole
range of imagina tive celestia l conception in Western art, whether in the mediaeval transports of
Fra Angelico’
s sa ints or in the cruder , i f more
intense , apocalyptic v is ions of W i ll iam Blak e ,there has been rea li zed nothing comparable to
this transcendent creation .
This noble conception ca rries us into a sphere where
compari son i s challenged wi th Dante . The de
scent of these gracious figures through a hopeless
gloom of rock , and icy fa ll , and trees of uncanny
foliage , as i f they were dropping from one
cloud terrace to another , the edges of the lowest
holding back th e sinking mass like the prows of
ships ,— is for the purpose of throwing a ims to a
28
23 .
ANCI EN T CH INESE PAIN TINGS.
crowd of ragged outcasts benea th , whether spirits
from one of torture ’s many cells , or lepers bani shed
to this desola te spot , — outca sts who , fl ingingaside their meagre loads , fight l ike demons for theboon . Though the splendidly disposed robes of
the Rakan are not drawn in Ririomin’
s style w i thfirm swelling stroke , yet the broken nervousness
of this artist’s touch has enabled him to render
the squa l id rags and emaciated l imbs with an
intensitv tha t nothing in early Ita lian frescos
equals .
the delicate tones of this picture had been moreperfectly preserved it would probably riva l in un
earthly beauty No . 20. It represents similarlv
the transfiguration of a sa int , who in this ca se
stands erect in attitude of prayer above a rosycloud . From his whole body , and especia lly from
his halo , radiate masses of undula ting blue rays ,across whose magnetic torrent fall celestia l flowers
from the hands of angels floa tingin its upperspaces . Between the groups of the Rakan stand
ingon earth a Deva in a puff of cloud emerges
from below bearing in his hands a large goldendish , whose thin flames seem to lend potency to
the mi racle . This picture has been in places
retouched , and the sta ined ha lo has lost its
luminositv .
Here four Rakan pray about a large bell-gong
which a servant strikes . The fifth sa int sits on a
rock above , hooded in his stole , in utter trance ,and backed by a ghostly dawning ha lo from
behind , which emerges a splendid Deva king , his
CATALOGUE .
blade tipped with an enormous jewel , crossed
upon his a rms , his fingers locked in a specia l
sacred symbol . Leafy creepers and tangled vineshang from the upper rocks in a style i°ecallingsecular work of later Sung . The drapery i s firmly
executed and is specia l ly fine in the simple cat
cnary curves of the tranced figure , which has
served as model to more than one Takuma masterin Japan.
The Rakan descend on folds of yellow sulphurous
cloud , self- luminous , brightening the gloom of the
lowest hell , of which a glimpse is seen benea th in
the mounta in sown w ith sword blades , and in the
cauldron where the souls of the damned a re
eterna lly boil ing . But, through the interrention
of these sav iors , a miracle has taken place . The
very flames tha t leap about the horrid vessel are
bea ten down the steaming wa ter has been cooled
into a sweet lake , from which spring , by d ivine
grace , lotus plants wi th blossoms of blue , red , andwhite . The agonized souls turn in an ecstasv of
relief towa rd the Rakan , or , as if ha lf crazed ,laugh at their unlooked-for reprieve . The very
cow-headed fiend , who , wi th a trident has pre
vented their escape , is forced to his knees ; his
hands clutch as if in the inchoate action of un
wonted prayer ; and the head rolls upward in thea ttitude of a stricken beast.
25 . This picture is dominated by the force of motion inthe N iagara -l ike cataract across which the Rakanwa lk . A corresponding torrent in the a ir makes
itself felt in the swing of thei r garments , and in
30 ANCIENT CH INESE PAINTINO’S.
the wrenching of the tree branches above . Aga in ,the almost horizonta l l ines of the water above theupper and lower fa lls are repeated sympathetically
in the splendid spread of the two straw ha ts .
The head, hat, and shoulders of the upper figure
in blue have much of Ririomin’
s finest dignity .
The attitude of the elemental, who,w ithout
possessing the spiritua l power which would enablehim to floa t upon the surface , yet plunges boldlyin trusting to the sacred rolls he carries , intensi
fies the feeling of dizzy flow in the water .
Here is a large , strong rendering of the a rchitecture
of a Chinese Buddhist temple , whose rectangula r
Spaces dominate the line and color composition .
The foremost building is apparently the library
where sacred scrolls are kept boxed on the
shelves . The boxes are apparently brought in
bv the Rakan from a distance , as in some important act requiring t he mystic intervention of a
Deva , whether the enrichment of a new edifice or
the magica l transporta tion of scriptura l trea sures
from distant lands . The soft color of the Rak an’
s
gowns contrasts , as of something transcendent ,w ith the hard reds of the pillars ; and both are
thrown back into_ a tmosphere by the fine, darkmass of the temple tree , whose color is echoed in
the gray of the tiled roofs . Especially fine is the
tip of the sma ll cryptomeria , which rises aga instthe green wal l of the farther court . Tire architectural deta i l of bracket and carved interspace is
essentially tha t of Japanese temples , though the
proportions differ .
CATALOG UE’
. 3 1
I n th is the composition and color are grand , wi th
the sweep of the double waterfall cut by the
dragon-like branch , and by the rich process ion of
figrrrcs along the chasrn’
s brink , below which
emerge , from the whirlpool under the fa l l and
amid spray transformed to mystic cloud , the
figures of a wa ter king , and of a blue elementa l
a ttendant who bears a loft the former ’s ruby
banner .
The Rakan a re engaged in the occupations of sewing
and mending . They si t on soft , straw mats,threading a needle , ready with a pa i r of shears ,crnbro ideringcolored garments w ith black or with
white thread . A servant comes in at the ba ck
bringing utensils for tea . Pa lmetto trees spread
their del ica te fan-l ike fingers . The composition
i s strengthened by their stems , and by the fence
ra ils made from their wood . The preserva tion of
the color is rema rkable , especia lly of the cloud
pa ttern in the dress of the foremost Rakan , andin the reds and browns of the standing boy .
Sitting on green Buddhist cha irs are four Rakan,finely draped in r ich , pearly robes . From behind ,through an avenue of gnarled trunk s , the fifthRakan is borne in a black sedan cha ir upon the
shoulders of four horned elementa ls , whose un
couth limbs are echoed in the knots of the trees .
A sma ll monkey-faced a ttendant looks up in
surprise .
30. Here is another subject in which architecture domi
nates the composition . The Rakan seem to betaking possession of a temple to which they have
a rrived from a distance , their a ttendants ladenwi th baggage . The absence of all ornament ontheir simple gowns gives them much more theappearance ofmendicants than is usua l , and ca llsfor another scheme of low- toned color . A smallboy beats a drum in the temple ya rd in apparentunconsciousness of this invasion , which we maythus suppose invisible to ordinary mortals .
Before the injury to the upper portion , th is must
have been one of the most impressive of the
series . The brilliancy of the simply disposedRakan group at night rt ading by candle lightfrom holy scripture , contrasted with the gloom
beyond the line of ra i l ing ,— a gloom filled with
infini ty of fine deta il,
i s a lmost Rembrandtesqncin its nota n tone . The grim a rray of the sp iri t
world , souls of kings, Deva , Bodhisa ttwa , and beirirrd them the pa le green and red fea tures of
elementa ls , flocking to l isten through the tangled
vine bcclambered trunk s of writhing trees , w irosc
knots and bone- l ike pa rasites peer out as an arnrv
of skeletons , presents one. of the weirdest fea ts o f
imagination in all art.
The lower ha lf of this picture conta ins the incident
of interest . The fifth Ra k an, w i th the help of the
Deva on the left, brings to a couple standing on
ea rth , a l ittle , sea ted , na k ed babe in the attitude
of prayer , held in a transparent, ruby globe , upon
r golden di sk , by a female sp iri t dressed l ik e a
Chinese nurse . This i s probably the beautiful
suggestion of the conception of some future great
priest . I n his left hand , the Rakan holds a cup
ANCIENT CH INESE PAI NTINGS.
Artistically , the fine dark blue ga rden rock , cornbined w i th the rich browns of the bamboo fence ,as also the contrast of these darks and of the dark
boy w ith the mingled fea thers of cloud and
banana lea f, are the striking features .
a rocky gorge cut by a tumbling brook , the Rakana re finishing their single da i ly repast . One holdsin his hands a beautiful malach i te bowl , new
empty another ties up a simi lar vessel in a whitecloth while the dominant figure reaches his upward
w ith an arm magica lly extended , to ca tch a rill
which leaps from out the da rk rock-masses . T ire
feeling of the a rtist , who , in concea ling the nu
pleasant feature of this arm by covering itmostlywi th a sweeping red -brown cloud , is noticeable , as
i s a lso the low-toned harmony which this cloud
makes with the blue-gray of the rocks .
Here is another instance of the Rakan travellingthrough the world to v is it the centra l shrines of
many countries . The door of this temple is a ja r ,and through the porta l we see a corner of the
golden a ltar with the colored lotus-throne of its
Buddha . Four of the Rakan are supported by
the cloud ; the fifth steps upon the tiled floor of
the ga llery out of the hands of a Deva spirit who
is l iterally rea li zing the Bible passage , For he
shall give his angels charge over thee . The
drawing of the large banana plant in light green
aga inst the dark gray ground , ismasterly .
38 . I f the colors of the Rakan were here better pre
served, we should have one of the finest presen
tations of the Orienta l method of throwing up
CATALOG’UH .
bright figures aga inst an ink landscape . $ et the
very blur of the low- toned robes adds to the
mysterious effect of the thick grove , through
whose leafless branches l ight shimmers , and across
which fl ies upward from the outstretched blue
howl a cloud of l ight wh ite flakes $ or i s it tha t
an ea rly snow in the chill December glen is being
magically ca ught , and so annihilated , in the sacred
receptacle
The Rakan are multiplying copies of the Buddhist
records . From their a ttitude of discussion , and
the fact tha t the chief in full canonica ls presides
before an a lta r w i th incense , thi s rnav be the first
transcription of legend or of lesson held in the
memory of their personal experience . An inter
esting fea ture is the three-fold screen behind the
master pa inted with ink landscapes on a white
ground in the style of the famous Sung artistKakki . The fema le figures above are beings from
heaven expressing interest in the work , who probably a id in the interpreta t ion.
Though the lower portion is cracked by time and
broken bv the unquiet j ewel - like spots of the adoringfigures , yet the upper group of the Rakan in
the cloud is one of the most dignified in d rapery
line , and in the simple unadorned color masses .
I‘Iach head,too , is a fine study .
4 1 . Rakan crossing the sea upon the backs of marinenronsters, whose drawing makes the picture spe
ciallv interesting . Three of them are clearly vis
ible $ one a fine turtle executed in ink ; one a
3G ANCI EN T CHINESE PAIN TINGS.
ma ss of red and yellow j elly wi th a head slug-l ike ,though giving the impression of a dragon’s features ; that in the foreground , a splendid specimenin full color of the dragon- l ike dolphin which so
often appea rs in Buddhist l itera ture , and is thetenth sign of the zodiac ; a frrll moon sh ines clea r
above the high horizon .
An incanta tion scene upon a terraced floor . I n the
foreground a k rngwith golden censer shrinks from
the apparition of the holy Spirits whom he hasinvoked , and who step from a cloud upon a cloth of
white brocade held upfor their feet by two Chinese
ladies but dimly cogniz ant of the phenomenon .
The wav in which the mingled cloud and wave of
thei r my stic journey blot out the solid tiles -of the
pavement i s a magnificent rendering of the transi v
tion from the outer to the inner v ision .
The noble dragon-l ik e spira l which media tes this
composi tion is defea ted by a lack of clea r notan ,
or da rk and light arrangement . I ts feature is the
manifesta tion of elementa l powers in storm, whose
mists , unl ike the outlined lapping of previous
clouds, is executed in blended ink masses l ike
those of secular pa inting . Out of the cloud’s
frothy portion pours the bulk of a colored dragon ,
elemental incarnation of the motions of wa ter . I n
the blackest hollow are revealed the paraphernal ia
of electri c storm, the how of l ink ed drums with
flaming vases tied into.
the knots between each
pa ir . A servant wi th ma llets, unlike the extrav
agant Japanese Ra iden , is swept into the vortex.
Another w ith meta l rattles seems impressed by
CATALCC UE .
the dragon. Two superior spiri ts emerge from
the cloud , while , sti llnearer , the king of the storm
bows in obeisance to the w i ll of the Rakan.
The interest here l ies in the sa int w i th flaming ha lo ,who fa lls rapidly through space , eyes opening in
his outstretched pa lms , and followed in a serpen
tine magnetic wake tha t reaches back to the verymoon by a graceful fema le figure in white w ith
two attendants . One feel s that some gentle lunar
soul is being designedly brought down to ea rth by
the priestly messenger . Here is the only ca se inwhich the line of magnetic a ttachment we have so
often noted is v isibly connected with an orb .