2 Ren Xiong (1823-1857)
The Ten Myriads
undated
album of ten leaves, ink and color on gold paper
each leaf 26.3 x 20.5 cm
Palace Museum, Beijing
The boldness of these landscape compositions, which Ren Xiong created with
mineral pigments on a ground of gold leaf, make this one of the most original
albums of the period. A line of calligraphy on each leaf that begins with
the word "ten thousand" or "myriad," such as Myriad
Valleys with Competing Streams, Myriad Bamboo in Misty Rain,
and Myriad Scepters Worshiping Heaven, give the album its title.
It was painted for a Suzhou collector and bears inscriptions dated 1856
by close friends of the artist, including the painter Zhou Xian.