Streams and Mountains without End

1100–1150

Maker Unknown

Chinese Art

Streams and Mountains without End, 1100–1150. China, late Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) - Jin dynasty (1115-1234). Handscroll, ink and slight color on silk; image: 35.1 x 213 cm (13 13/16 x 83 7/8 in.); overall: 35.1 x 1103.8 cm (13 13/16 x 434 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hanna Fund 1953.126

Original Source

Maker/Artist: Maker Unknown
Classification: Painting
Formatted Medium: handscroll, ink and slight color on silk
Medium: handscroll, ink, slight, color, silk
Dimensions: Image: 35.1 x 213 cm (13 13/16 x 83 7/8 in.); Overall: 35.1 x 1103.8 cm (13 13/16 x 434 9/16 in.)
Inscribed: Inscription: 9 colophons and 48 seals: 1 colophon, dated 1205, of Wang Wenwei 王文蔚 (dates unknown); 1 colophon, dated 1205, of Li Hui 李惠 (dates unknown); 1 colophon of Weiluo Tian Xie 蔚羅田獬 (dates unknown); 1 colophon, dated 1214, of He Yan 何言 (dates unknown); 1 colophon, dated 1326, of Cao Yuanyong 曹元用 (d. 1329) 1 colophon, dated 1332, of Kangli Zishan 康里子山 (Naonao; 1295-1345); 1 colophon, dated 1336, of Liu Zai 劉載. (dates unknown); 1 colophon, dated 1380, and 4 seals of Yang Mao 楊懋 (1300-after 1380); 4 seals of the Hou family (ca. 1340); 1 colophon of Wang Duo 王鐸 (1592-1652); 4 seals of Zhang Bingqian 張秉乾 (juren of 1729); 8 seals of Liang Qingbiao 梁清標 (1620-1691); 2 seals of the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-95); 4 seals of the Jiaqing emperor (r. 1796-1820); 3 seals of the Xuantong emperor (r. 1909-11); 2 seals of Ye Gongchuo 葉恭綽 (1881-1968); 17 seals of Zhang Yuan 張爰 (Zhang Daqian 張大千, 1899-1983). Inscription: Colophon 1. Wang Wenwei 王文蔚. Dated third month and third day, 1205, under the reign of Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty. 造物元無心，山川秀氣聚。畫手亦無盡，各出新意度。誰將妙林泉，淡墨寫縑素。重巒疊嶂間，三兩人家住。茅舍隔素籬，小橋通細路。溪上數葉舟，雅有物外趣。嵓崦藏招提，依稀認窗戶。山色四時宜，雲煙自朝暮。不知塵世中，此景在何處。收拾買山錢，投老好歸去。泰和乙丑三月三日平原王文蔚謹再拜，書于河東縣署之野趣堂。 Translation: The creator has no intentions, Making mountains and streams from pure air. The painters too are also innumerable; Every one of them has some new ideas. Who has picked these tasteful forests and springs, And laid them on this white piece of silk with light ink? In the midst of layers of peaks and piles of overhangs, Two or three families have found dwellings. The thatched huts are separated by sparse fences. A little bridge leads to several narrow paths. On the river boats float like leaves. The tranquility gives a flavor that is beyond this world. Behind a rock, a monastery is hidden, Doors and windows of some buildings are faintly recognizable. The appearance of the mountain is proper for all four seasons, Cloudy and misty from dawn to dusk. I wonder where in this dust-filled world Can scenes like this be found! Gather your pension money; When old, this is a good place to go. The third day, third month, the year of yichou in the Taihe reign (1205), Wang Wenwei of Pingyuan wrote this at Yequ Tang in the magisterial office of Hedong. Inscription: Colophon 2. Li Hui 李惠. The colophon was written three days before the Qingming Festival in 1205. 畫師慣在山中居，含毫吮墨聊自娛。閑將一段冰霜絹，寫出千里江山圖。前山後山互出沒，山腰林樾相縈紆。危橋澗溜瀉鳴玉，山根一匯為平湖。波平短艇快漁釣，雲深細徑來樵蘇。僊宮梵宇占幽勝，雕欄複閣森蓬壺。往來行客煙靄外，飄飄野店青帘孤。人家雞犬聲相接，熙熙化日安唐宇。嗟余嗜好何其迂，膏肓泉石真吾徒。一行作吏墮世網，薄書汨沒勞奔趨。千巖萬壑但夢想，故園三徑應將蕪。披圖暫洗黃塵眼，拊膺三嘆空踟躕。泰和乙丑清明前三日絳臺李惠書于舜城府署之九思堂。 Translation: A master painter is used to mountain dwelling, He amuses himself with brush and ink. Leisurely he took up a piece of icy white silk, And drew a picture of rivers and mountains for thousands of miles: Front hills and back hills mutually run into each other, And at their waist level forests meet and tangle. A dangerous bridge hangs over a rapid stream that roars like rattling jades. Where the roots of mountains sink in union, there is the flat surface of the lake. The waves are calm, and the fishing is easy in a short boat; The clouds are thick, and along the small paths one gathers firewood. Immortal palaces and Buddhist temples are found in quiet and beautiful regions; Carved railings and complex of pavilions are situated deep in Penghu. Coming and going, the travelers are seen outside the mist; Fluttering is the blue banner of a shop alone in the wilderness. Other people living with the noise of chickens and dogs Are happily at peace under a good government. Why then is my taste so foolish? So I crave the company of rocks and streams. Once I became a clerk I fell into the net of worldly affairs. My humble books are buried in tears and I am exhausted by the race of life. The thousand precipices and ten thousand valleys have since become only a dream. The three paths of my old family garden are now covered with weeds. While opening the scroll I seem to wash my dustfilled eyes, With hand on chest, I sigh three times, in vain. On the third day before the Qingming Festival, in the year of yichou of the Taihe era (1205), I, Li Hui of Jiangtai, wrote this at Jiusi Tang of the prefecture office of Shuncheng. Inscription: Colophon 3. Weiluo Tian Xie 蔚羅田獬. 畫工紛紛不可紀，擺脫俗流幾人耳。夫誰援筆掃鵝溪，一段風煙且千里。白波青嶂渺無窮，水接山兮山插水。小橋野店相勾連，古寺樓臺突兀起。飄然氣象與神俱，但患未明孰姓氏。郭熙雖老典型存，為問主公無乃是。此畫世希當寶藏，無與碌碌同一視。更看卷首數公詩，奇絕清新相表裏。蔚羅田獬 Translation: Painters are innumerable, But how few of them have escaped mediocrity. Who has swept over this river with a painting brush Forming a picture of wind and mist that stretches over a thousand miles? The white waves and blue peaks are far and endless, While the water joins the mountains, the mountains are actually planted in the water. A little bridge leads to a wilderness shop, Behind which terraces of an old temple suddenly rise. The atmosphere is free, and the appearance is comparable to those that are divine. Only the anonymity of the painter is rather worrisome. Guo Xi may be old, but his likeness is here, I wonder if the master [owner] would agree with me. This painting, a true rarity, should be carefully treasured; It must not be treated as an ordinary thing. In addition, we also look at the several poems at the beginning of the scroll written by several eminent or elderly gentlemen. Their fresh insights are worthy compliments to the painting. Weiluo Tian Xie Remark: The writer's name is foreign. Inscription: Colophon 4. He Yan 何言. Written in 1214. 萬有來自無，一真歸所託。畫師得三昧，胸中幻丘壑。百態逐墨破，群形隨筆落。地近迹分明，天遙痕隱約。雲物自吐吞，峯巒非斧鑿。江鄉閴無市，谷關常不鑰。中有野夫閑，童琴而歩鶴。酒斾出籬懸，漁舟臨岸泊。澗樹蔽橋樑，巖松迷殿閣。岑疊宿霧重，野曠林煙薄。危棧接縈紆，亂泉通脈絡。途中人往來，僕馬何羸弱。怪石虎踡跼，古木龍蟠錯。一幅宜好收，千金非易博。玉堂閑卷舒，眼界增寥廓。視險尚寛平，見危除慘虐。氣象溢國華，川澤資廟略。功名業已書，歸去鞭先著。但知色即空，何是今非昨。飽乎仁智心，箇中無限樂。貞祐甲戌秋暮，東營何言題。 Translation: The ten thousand objects came from nothingness, Everything goes back to the one true essence. The painting master is in accord with samadhi. He creates hills and valleys out of his bosom. Hundreds of apparitions appear after the spread ink; Varieties of shapes follow the application of the brush. Where things are near, they are made clear. In the distant sky the traces become obscured. Views exist by themselves, Precipices and peaks are not artificially chiseled. The village by the river is quiet with no market. The mountain gateway is often left unlocked. Amid this there are a few leisurely men, Watching a boy carrying a qin, and another walking a crane. Over the fence the wine shop banners are hanging; Near the shore the fishing boats are anchored. The trees over the streams partly cover the bridge. The pavilions are shaded by tall pines from the cliffs. Behind the multiple peaks, the moisture is heavy; Over the wild plain, the mist that covers the trees is light. Dangerous paths are lined by winding bushes. The meandering rapids link with mountains’ veins. Coming and going travelers go on their journeys; How the attendants and the horses look wearied. There are strange peaks that look like crouching tigers, The ancient trees resemble tangled dragons. This painting deserves to be cherished. Even a thousand pieces of gold may not obtain it. Sitting in the Hanlin Academy I leisurely open the scroll, My mind is being broadened. Aware of pitfalls I am happy that I am safe, Facing the dangerous, I would still have to destroy the wicked. A grand atmosphere fills the nation. The rich mountains and waters feed the high designs. When the deeds are done and one’s name is in the book of merits, In my home-bound journey I will put the whip to good use. Knowing that all forms are but empty. Why must I insist that yesterday was wrong and today is right? Be nourished by a heart of benevolence and wisdom, In which we will find the bliss that is eternal. In late autumn, the year of jiaxu during the Zhenyou era (1214), I, He Yan of Eastern Encampment, wrote this. Inscription: Colophon 5. Cao Yuanyong 曹元用 (d. 1329). Dated 1326. 岸擁危橋斷，溪浮小艇斜。萬山最深處，依約兩三家。泰定丙寅秋，曹元用題。 Translation: Shores carry a dangling bridge, Streams float slender boats; In the depth of ten thousand hills Two or three families are thinly placed. In autumn, the year of bingyin in the Taiding era (1326), I, Cao Yuanyong, wrote this. Remark: The colophon is the first among those by Yuan writers. Inscription: Colophon 6. Kangli Zishan 康里子山 (i.e., Kangli Naonao). The colophon bears a date of 1332. 右溪山圖，意韻蕭灑。一見使人有烟霞之想，真可珍藏。又有□金諸名勝題詩其左。兵火之餘，殊不易得也。至順三年暮春之月，康里子山跋。 Translation: On the right is the painting [known as] Xi shan tu [Streams and Mountains], which is imbued with a free and leisurely air. The sight of it provokes unworldly thoughts. It is truly a painting that deserves meticulous care. To the left, there are poetic colophons by famous men from the [Song] and Jin periods. That the scroll survived the vicissitude of wars is quite fortunate indeed. Remark: Kangli Naonao called the painting simply Streams and Mountains. Was that the real title of the painting? Or did he simplify it just for the occasion? Zhang Daqian added the two characters “without End,” in the twentieth century. Further, Kangli may also have suggested the presence of Song colophons at the end of the scroll, prior to Wang Wenwei’s. The unfortunate damage in that segment erased the character “Song”; thus it requires the later corroboration from Yang Mao. Inscription: Colophon 7. Liu Zai 劉載. 雲拂埜田閑種玉，雨餘巖溜碎傾金。幾時也結團茆去，麟閤恬然不挂心。至元二年正月，長安劉載載之謹錄上。 Translation: Clouds sweep over the open fields where time passes leisurely in “jade” planting. After the rain, [glistening] rivulets run over the cliff like scattered gold. Someday I wish I could build a thatched hut there. The ambition in the Unicorn Halls will not weigh on my heart. In the first month, the second year of zhiyuan (1336), I, Liu Zai, [also known as] Zaizhi of Chang’an, respectfully wrote this. Remark: Liu Zai is the last among the Yuan writers to inscribe on this painting. Inscription: Colophon 8. Yang Mao 楊懋 (1300–after 1380). 觀此圖，經營位置，筆法高古，山明石潤。其橋梁、路道、樹林、人物、遠近；一一誠得真山水之深趣。非當時名筆有大才者不能至此。不必問其誰何，可為神品。况宋金元三朝名公所跋，尚不能記，想其來尤遠矣。然而物經累變而尚存，是物之有壽者也。余不復再論。文顯其保之。洪武庚申春，八十翁楊懋觀。 Translation: I have studied the composition and the design of this painting and have noticed its brushwork in the ancient manner. The mountains are bright and the rocks are moist. Far and near, the bridges, paths, trees, human figures, and other objects are clear and give the flavor of real landscape. None but the greatly talented hands of that time could have achieved this. There is no need to ask the name of the painter; the work itself can be classed in the divine order. Considering the fact that the writers of the colophons of three dynasties, Song, Jin, and Yuan, have not been able to trace the source of the painting, its origin must indeed be ancient. A work that survives age and crisis is a work with the virtue of longevity. It is not for me to make further speculations, but only to hope that Wenxian will treasure this with great care. In the spring of the gengshen year, the Hongwu era (1380), I, Yang Mao, at eighty sui [have seen this]. Inscription: Colophon 9. Wang Duo 王鐸 (1592–1652). 文蓀親翁博雅，文詩鴻暢。舍弟持此喜觀，遂抽管題數語：山勢委折，筆墨無痕。宋人中如此不多見也。譬之兵家，當是韓白。王鐸。 Translation: My brother’s relative by marriage, Wensun, is learned and has good taste. He writes good prose and poetry. My brother brought over this painting of his to show me, so I pick up a brush and write these few words: The posture of the mountains is bent and complex. The brush and ink have no artificial marks. This degree of excellence is not often seen in Song paintings. Speaking in military terms, the achievement is comparable to that of the great generals Han [Xin 韓信 (d. 196 BC)] and Bai [Qi 白起 (d. 257 BC)]. Remark: Wensun 文蓀 is the hao [literary name] of Wang Changheng.
Departments: Chinese Art
Accession Number: 1953.126
Credit Line: Gift of the Hanna Fund
Exhibitions: In Memoriam: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., 1000 Jahre Chinesische Malerei, Summer Mountains: the Timeless Landscape, Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting, Visions of Landscape: East and West, Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection, Streams and Mountains Without End: Asian Art and the Legacy of Sherman E. Lee at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Silent Poetry: Masterworks of Chinese Painting, Chinese Landscape Painting. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1954). cat. no.16., La Chinese des Song. Musée Cernushi, Paris, France (1956)., Chinese Paintings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1960)., Summer Mountains: The Timeless Landscape. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (1976).
Rights Statement: CC0