28 Wang Zhen
Dragon and Clouds
1920
hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
155 x 70 cm
Collection of Michael Yun-wen Shih, Tainan
Wang Zhen's many visits to Japan, his Buddhist beliefs, and his love of
painting converged in his interest in Chan Buddhist painting, or as it was
called in Japan, Zen painting. The Chinese paintings collected in Japanese
temples were quite different from those to be found in China proper, and
exposure to them fueled new interests among some twentieth century Chinese
painters. Although the dragon image Wang Zhen has conceived here is very
close in style to paintings of Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) China,
it was more commonly seen in later Japanese versions, particularly screen
paintings made for Zen temples.