Yuan Yao at NGV

At the NGV, I visited the newly redone Asian Art area. In the general area I was fascinated by Yuan Yao's Sublime Landscape (1770). This piece consists of 12 silk scrolls, hung in a row to create a large panoramic image. The landscape shows mountains rising from the sea. On the mountains amongst the trees are buildings and pavilions of traditional Chinese architecture. What first struck me about the images of the buildings was how similar they look to the buildings in the Summer Palace, (which I visited earlier this year). The landscape is said to be the realm of immortals, and the inscription translates to 'Mountain Peaks, Spring Blossoms'.

Yuan Yao was a professional artist inspired by the monumental landscapes of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), in particular the landscapes by Guo Xi, the most famous court academy artist of the Northern Song.

Yuan Yao. Sublime Landscape, 1770

What struck me most about this landscape was the peace and serenity that it portrays, whilst at the same time being a very busy, detailed and intricate landscape. There are several sets of people pictured throughout the landscape, in pavilions or on paths; there is clearly a story throughout the image that requires a deeper thought and knowledge of the times. The use of line is incredible; there is a very gestural use of line to create the sea and the mountains, which is contrasted with the very precise line of the pavilions and buildings. The buildings are designed very cleverly to meld into the landscape and consider their surroundings rather than stick up out of place. This is a very peaceful landscape to look at and contemplate both the skill of the artist as well as the actual landscape.