Travelers on a Mountain Pass

Accession Number
1981/1.312

Title
Travelers on a Mountain Pass

Artist(s)
Wu Wei

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1490-1508

Medium & Support
Hanging Scroll, ink and light color on silk

Dimensions
121 9/16 in x 56 ¼ in (308.77 cm x 142.88 cm);121 9/16 in x 56 ¼ in (308.77 cm x 142.88 cm);156 4/5 in x 61 ¼ in (398.3 cm x 155.57 cm);x 65 ⅜ in x 166.05 cm;3 ⅛ in x 66 ⅛ in x 2 ¾ in (7.94 cm x 167.96 cm x 6.99 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Wu

Label copy

Copies and Invention in East Asia (August 17, 2019 - January 5, 2020)
Wu Wei often mined the landscape paintings of the Song dynasty (960–1127) for sources. In this large hanging scroll depicting three travelers on a mountain path in winter, he is looking directly at the work of Li Cheng (919–967). We can see, however, that the styles of past masters were not just models for emulation, but for creative transformation. While preserving the scale and subject of works like Li Cheng’s A Solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks (at right), Wu Wei’s painting has a different feel. There is a greater emphasis on the human presence in the vast mountain landscape, while at the same time the painting is more abstract, with prominent brush strokes that have become part of the composition. Indeed, viewed from close up, the landscape elements seem to disappear into the brushwork.

Wu Wei
China, 1459–1508

Travelers on a Mountain Pass
Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
ca. 1490–1508
Hanging Scroll, ink and light color on silk Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Wu, 1981/1.312

Wu Wei was a Ming dynasty court artist renowned for his large landscapes, often painted rapidly, before an audience, and frequently while inebriated. He was particularly revered for his free and confident brushwork, visible here in the strokes making up the cliffs at the upper right. Seen from a distance, these seemingly chaotic lines create the illusion of texture. Such freely-painted areas contrast with the exacting detail and intimate charm of the figures of a master on a donkey and two servants on foot, traveling together in the snowy landscape. Due to the size of his monumental works—this one originally measured over eighteen-feet long—it is likely that the artist spread the silk on the floor, applying ink strokes while standing on it.



Subject matter
In this large hanging scroll, a master on a donkey travels on a mountain pass, accompanied by two servants. The overhanging cliffs on both the left and right sides in the background have several overlapping vertical layers. This, along with Wu Wei’s vigorous and flourishing brushwork, substantially enlivens the landscape and provides an impressive sense of depth.

Physical Description
This large hanging scroll depicts a man on a donkey traveling along a mountain pass, accompanied by two other men and surrounded by huge overhanging craggy cliffs on both the left and right sides in the background with several overlapping vertical layers.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Landscapes
cliffs
donkeys
figures in landscape
hanging scrolls
passes
servants
travelers
travelers (people by activity)
trees
waterfalls

4 Related Resources

Ink and Realisms
(Part of: Artist Associations and Art Movements)
Landscape and Nature, Comparative and Historical
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Silk
(Part of: Exchange and Influence on Global Trade Routes)

& Author Notes

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