The work that uses an empty pavilion to express the ethereal and turbulent artistic conception is Rong Xi Zhai Tu.
"Rong Xi Zhai Tu" is an ink painting on paper created by the painter Ni Zan in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It is now in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
This picture depicts the spring scenery in the south of the Yangtze River and the distant mountains and rivers. In the near distance are mountains and rocks and sparse trees. In the middle of the picture are the ripples of the lake. The distant peaks in the upper part of the picture lie across the waves. This three-stage composition is one of the characteristics of Ni Zan's landscape paintings. The landscape is modeled after Dong Yuan, and the stone is covered with hemp, and the texture is clear and elegant. The tree structure is varied, the structure has strong bones, and the tree tops and branches are full of business. The dead tree is rubbed with a dead pen, and the ink color is intricate and moist.
This painting is divided into three scenes: near, middle and far. The near part is a flat slope with several trees planted on it, sometimes decorated with thatched pavilions; the far part is a hilltop or low earth slope. As the transition between the close shot and the distant view, there is mostly a large blank space without a single ink, which is the lake.
The painting is signed "On the fifth day of the seventh month in the year of Renzi, Yun Linsheng wrote it", and also wrote a poem by himself: "The spring breeze in the corner of the house is full of apricot flowers, the small studio is full of youth; the golden ridges leap into the pool Fish are playing, colorful phoenixes are sitting on the bamboo slanting in the forest stream. They are chatting with each other. The white hair is fluttering and the black gauze is hanging on the bank. Nowadays, the hanging pots on the market are not enough."
Ni Zan:
Ni Zan (1301-1374), whose first name was Ni Jue, also named Taiyu, also named Yuanzhen, also known as Yunlinzi, Jingmanmin and Huanxiazi, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu. The painters and poets of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, together with Huang Gongwang, Wang Meng and Wu Zhen, are collectively known as the "Four Yuan Masters".
In the early years of Emperor Shun's reign, he spent all his wealth and wandered around Taihu Lake. Ni Zan was good at painting landscapes and ink bamboo. He learned from Dong Yuan and was influenced by Zhao Mengfu. In his early years, his painting style was clear and moist, but in his later years, he changed his style and became plain and naive. The sparse forest on the slope bank is secluded and elegant, the writing is simple and the meaning is far-reaching, and the ink is cherished like gold. Using the side-edge dry brush to make chaffing is called "Zhedai chambraying". The ink bamboo has an upturned posture and a few strokes, full of energy. His calligraphy started from official script, he has the style of Jin people, and he is also good at poetry.
Existing works include "Picture of Autumn at Yuzhuang", "Picture of Six Gentlemen", "Picture of Rong Xi Zhai", etc. He is the author of "Qing Zhen Pavilion Collection".