Tai Chin inherited many features
from Southern Sung court painting, but his style was more multifaceted than that of Ming
court artists. Sometimes one sees in his works ordinary features combined with the lofty
style associated with Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) literati painting. This work is just such
an example.
This work bears no seal or signature of the artist, but Wen
Cheng-ming (1470-1559) in his poem inscribed in the
upper left mentions Tai Chin's name.
This painting depicts a group of five
deer in a pine grove punctuated by a stream. The foreground trees, occupying much of
the painting surface, are separated from the background by only a few clouds. The
result is that the middleground has all but disappeared. The composition suggests solid
and void, movement and stillness, and complexity and simplicity all contrasted yet
balanced for a lively effect.
The trunks of the trees are done with forceful brushwork, and the
branches and needles are clearly defined with light and dark ink. The mountains and
foreground rocks are decorated with horizontal "dot-lines" arranged in layers to
create form and texture. The washes of ink and green suggest the style of Yuan literati
rather than any Southern Sung court artist. |
