Zhou Chen

Courtesy Name: Shunqing

Sobriquet: Dongchun

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Suzhou masters: Zhou Chen, Tang Yin and Qiu Ying

They were part of the Wu school of painting but developed a style that explored a larger range of skills and ways of control. They did not stray from the professional technical skill of waiting but also developed their skills in the literary arts. They did not stray from the idea of using art as a form of expression.

One of Late Ming Suzhou Masters and teacher to Tang Yin and Qiu Ying

Born in 1460 Suzhou, Jiangsu passed 1535.

Zhou Chen specialised in painting landscapes and human figures.

He incorporated the styles of the Southern Style paintings of the Zhe school along with the philosophy of the Wu School. He often depicted the lives of people in his works and was able to create relatable pieces that depicted the times of the Ming Dynasty.

Relaxing in a Waterside Pavilion (Hanging Scroll, ink and colour on silk)

The painting consists of a riverbank, as well as a man on a peering pavilion amidst the willow trees as a man on a boat, floats by, playing a Chinese flute. The textured ripples of the water are captured by his control of the brush and the repeated painted pattern. A man which looks like a servant is carrying a wrapped item in which considering the length looks either a bunch of papers or an instrument, most likely a traditional lute or guzheng.

The different personas in this painting all are different beings holding different places yet with this meeting at such a scenery. The way Zhou Chen has placed them at different areas and levels also hint at their different positions in society. The position of the man who seems to be one who holds some position, most likely a scholar. As he sits and enjoys the view with some of his scrolls on the table behind him. He peers out into the riverbank while the two other individuals are lower than him. Both servant and the man on the boat are glancing in his direction, their faces not drawn in. On further analysis, the man seems to be inhabiting the boat itself, with a drinking jar and up as well as his belongings further back in the boat.

Zhou Chen had a much more organic and structured looking style in his works. The shapes of the mountains in the afar are much boxier. The tones in his work are not as well developed as the other artist of his time. The layering of ink and values are done subtly on the rocks and the mountains. A light ink wash in further away mountain.

This piece of Zhou Chen’s does inhibit some notions and stories through the different characters. From a literary standpoint, Zhou Chen may have depicted the life of positions in society. An expression of the culture and lifestyle that existed at that time.

The Move (handscroll, ink and colours on silk, parts with gold and speckled texture)

This piece of Zhou Chen is a very colourful and bustling piece. The many different characters and personalities painted in this scene really captured the vibe and nature of the lifestyles in the Ming Dynasty. It gives a sort of insight and looks into the culture. With each panel, we are given a new scene and group to look at.

The different servants and their masters as they travel along the path. We get a look into the different characters and roles that each of them are doing.

The colours Zhou Chen has used for this offer a bright array of different colours. His brush strokes for this seems to be very joyful and free. Expressing the almost bustling vibe of the painting.