Virtual Visit to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Introduction
In this post, I will be discussing a piece of art that I discovered during a visit to an online Museum. I recently had the opportunity to virtually visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. One painting originating from the Ming Dynasty titled The Southern Journey by artist Tang Yin caught my eye. I found the painting to be very captivating with the realistic visuals. I appreciated the way that the artist was able to capture the beauty of a natural landscape so accurately, allowing those to come to see how the people of the time lived and viewed the nature around them. For this reason I ultimately chose to research both the art and the artist further.
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| The Southern Journey Tang Yin 唐寅 (1470-1524) Ming Dynasty (1505) Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art |
Research
“Tang Yin and Wen Zhengming as Artist Types: A Reconsideration” a journal article by James Cahill, elaborates on some of the most prominent artists of the early Ming Dynasty and the varying types of art that they managed to produce during the time. “Renowned as a painter, poet and calligrapher, Tang Yin was one of the greatest artists of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644)” (Cahill 3). Cahill explains some of the early life of Tang Yin as well as the style of some of his works within the article. The Southern Journey is explained to have been painted both as a farewell gift and as a kind of letter of introduction for Yang Jijing, a young musician, on the occasion of his departure from Suzhou for the southern imperial capital at Nanjing.
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| Gazing at a Waterfall Tang Yin 唐寅 (1470-1524) Ming Dynasty (1505) Metropolitan Museum |
While Tang Yin would go on to become a successful artist in his own right throughout the Ming Dynasty, he would not have such success in his official career due to challenges he faced early on. “Early in his life he had seemed destined for an upward leap in status, through success in the examinations and the prospect of a high official post. His disgrace in the metropolitan examination of 1498, undeserved as it probably was, made this course forever inaccessible to him” (Cahill 3). Yin’s legacy, while not being official recognized by many at the time, would still continue due to his persistence in the field of Chinese art. His ability to create beautiful scenes such as the one depicted in The Southern Journey would eventually allow him to be recognized as one of the greatest painters and calligraphers of the period. The painting does well to depict some of the beautiful landscapes seen during the Ming Dynasty and, today, offers some insight into the view of the lands at a time when images could not otherwise be captured.
Reflection
Both artists and the art they create have an unquestionable influence on the way in which a civilization or people from a certain time period are remembered. Tang Yin’s The Southern Journey as well as many of his other works have no doubt help shape the view of the Ming Dynasty and the lands the people inhabited today. Tang Yin is a perfect example of how an artist’s influence can persist despite failures initially. “Despite scandal and disappointment in his official career, he was befriended by both the scholarly and monied elite of his native Suzhou…” (Cahill 4). I very much enjoyed viewing the works of the art on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and would highly recommend anyone with even a slight interest in the art and people of ancient China to check it out. There are numerous pieces and varying style and form that, no doubt, do well to tell the stories of ancient China and more.
Work Cited
Cahill, James. “Tang Yin and Wen Zhengming as Artist Types: A Reconsideration.”
Artibus Asiae, vol. 53, no. 1/2, Artibus Asiae Publishers, 1993, pp. 228–48,
https://doi.org/10.2307/3250516.
“The Southern Journey.” Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
asia.si.edu/object/F1953.78/. Accessed 09 Dec. 2021.
“The Art and Culture of the Ming Dynasty.” Www.youtube.com,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u32BNvdkowc. Accessed 09 Dec. 2021.
Metmuseum.org, 2021, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45772. Accessed 09 Dec. 2021.
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