Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers (Xiao-Xiang ba jing 瀟湘八景),

ca. 1150

The eight paintings in these scrolls are thought to be the oldest surviving complete version of the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, a landscape theme that became popular in the late eleventh century. Xiao-Xiang refers to the region in present-day Hunan province where the Xiao and Xiang Rivers converge. Painters of the Eight Views were not interested in representing specific sights along the rivers or describing a narrative; rather, they tried to portray in ink and wash the lyrical qualities of dim light and misty atmosphere typical of that region. Each of the poetic titles suggests a time of day, a season, or specific atmospheric conditions — subjects that challenged the abilities of the most talented artists. The Eight Views are: "Geese Alighting on a Sandy Shore," "Sails off Distant Shores," "Mountain Village in Clearing Mist," "Autumn Moon over Lake Dongting," "Night Rain over Xiao-Xiang," "Evening Bell from a Mist-shrouded Temple," "Sunset Glow over a Fishing Village" (illustrated here), and "Evening Snow Blending River and Sky." Little is known of Wang Hong’s life save that he was a native of Sichuan, and these paintings are his only known extant works. The eclectic brushwork styles and the use of colors on the autumn trees, architectural structures, and wintry mountains may indicate a regional Sichuan painting style, a revival of the Fan Kuan (ca. 960–1030) tradition, or a transitional style between the Northern and Southern Song periods.