Courtesy Name: Shifu
Pseudonym: Shizhou
The youngest of the four masters of Ming Dynasty painting, one of Suzhou masters
Born 1494, Taicang, Jiangsu. Moved to Suzhou passed in 1552.
Qiu Ying painted as a professional career. He was thought by Zhou Chen was greatly inspired by his seniors Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin.
His connections with different art collectors of the time allowed him to be exposed to different Song and Yuan dynasty pieces. He broadened his artistic scope as he ventured towards the maturity and development of his won style. Tang Yin explored figure painting, landscape and flower subjects.
His daughter Qiu Zhu and son in law You Qiu followed him in paintings as well.
Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Handscroll, ink and colour on silk.)
This would be one of my favourite paintings out of the many others I have analysed previously. Although the length of this is truly amazing in terms of details and elements, its content and the meaning of this painting is what makes me fall in love with this piece of Qiu Ying’s even more. Although the elements do not have any hidden symbolism behind them, the literal painting of the event is what makes me love it so much. The showcase and capture of the representation of Qing Ming in the past. The atmosphere and the livelihood. Qiu Ying had painted this after Zhang Zheduan, the original painter of this scene. However, he had further adapted it into his own style and added elements he felt was right.
This is a painting of the Qingming festival which in Chinese culture celebrates and commemorates their ancestors and make offerings. Otherwise known as Tomb Sweeping Day, families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one's ancestors in Chinese culture.
From left to right, we see one of the royal buildings, its structure built on water. The architecture and colours of the building are similar to what would have been its real form in the past. The way Qiu Ying has painted this, it's from and perspective well developed. His technique in the detail with each structure from the roofs to the windows to the frames. Besides that, we see a dragon boat in the water with a few men paddling it.
As we glance further into the painting we get a look at the village. The different shops and happenings, as the villagers go about their busy day. We see many men carrying and transporting goods across the village along with some donkeys. At the dock, we see boats coming in as men unload the different goods. I feel that this was what made the painting also authentic, as Qiu Ying was able to capture this simplicity and rawness of the villagers’ lives. The many people as they gather to head to different destinations. Some gather in the village to see an entertaining fight and some at the other end attend a Chinese opera.
The entirety of the painting is just full of the bustling atmosphere which Qiu Ying was able to translate into the painting. The colour choice and the structures of the elements a simple raw capture of the wondrous memorable scene.
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