Six Persimmons (Chinese: 六柿圖; pinyin: liùshì tú) is a 13th-century Chinese painting by the monk Muqi Fachang. It was painted during the Song dynasty. Muqi was one of the two great exponents of the spontaneous mode of Chinese painting (the other being Liang Kai). It features six persimmons on an undefined background. It is painted in blue-black ink on paper.[1]
| Six Persimmons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Mu Qi |
| Year | 13th Century |
| Type | Ink on Paper |
| Dimensions | 36.2 cm cm × 38.1 cm cm (14.25 in in × 15 in in) |
| Location | Daitoku-ji, Kyoto, Japan |
The painting is often cited as an expression of Chan Buddhist ideals.[2] The thick and thin brushstrokes that model the lightest of the persimmons make it seem to float in contrast to the darker one next to it. The treatment of the stems and leaves have been compared to Chinese characters.[1] Professor James Cahill of the University of California Berkeley devoted a lecture to the image.[3]
(Six Persimmons is) passion... congealed into a stupendous calm.
— Arthur Waley, [4]
It is currently in the collection of the Juko'in subtemple of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Japan.[1]
Gary Snyder referenced the image in his 2008 poem "Mu Ch'i's Persimmons".[5]
Footnotes
edit- ^ a b c Lee Page 379-380
- ^ Jr, Donald S. Lopez (2009-11-15). Critical Terms for the Study of Buddhism. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-49323-7.
- ^ Cahill, James. 12C - Six Persimmons. YouTube. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Waley page 231
- ^ Snyder, Gary (2008-10-13). "Mu Ch'I's Persimmons". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
References
edit- Lee, Sherman E. (1994), A History of Far Eastern Art (5th ed.), Harry N. Abrams Inc., New York, NY
- Waley, Arthur (1923), An Introduction to the Study of Chinese Painting, Benn, London