Liang Kai (; ''c''. 1140 - ''c''. 1210) was a Chinese painter of the

Southern Song The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

Dynasty. He was also known as Madman Liang because of his very informal pictures. He was born in Shandong and worked in Lin An (later

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...

). He is known to have studied with the master Jia Shigu. He was awarded the rank of Painter-in-Attendance at the court of Jia Tai (1201-1204 CE, Southern

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

) where he was known for mastery in painting figures, landscapes, and other minor subjects. He was also awarded the Golden Belt, however he left it behind when he left his position at court to practise

Chan Chan may refer to: Places *Chan (commune), Cambodia * Chan Lake, by Chan Lake Territorial Park in Northwest Territories, Canada People *Chan (surname), romanization of various Chinese surnames (including 陳, 曾, 詹, 戰, and 田) *Chan Caldw ...

Buddhism.

Painting style

Liang Kai is most famous for originating or developing the "Xie Yi" (sometimes translated as "sketch style") of painting, where the objective is to evoke the subject or atmosphere with minimal use of detail; it requires a profound mastery of painting technique and perfect concentration, but also allows for the beauty of accidental effects. The Xie Yi style is closely associated with the "sudden enlightenment", "mindfulness", and "spontaneity" aspects of this school of Buddhism. Works generally attributed to Liáng Kǎi include: painting of the poet

Li Bai Li Bai (, 701–762), also pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as a brilliant and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du F ...

, the ''Drunken Celestial'' (''A Sage''), ''The Sixth Patriarch Cutting Bamboo'', and in a more academic style, a series called the ''Eight Eminent Monks'' paintings. ''The Sixth Chan Patriarch'' in particular exemplifies Chan Buddhism. It depicts

Huineng Dajian Huineng (); (February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), also commonly known as the Sixth Patriarch or Sixth Ancestor of Chan (traditional Chinese: 禪宗六祖), is a semi-legendary but central figure in the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhi ...

, a Chan master, crouching as he chops bamboo. This follows the idea of mundane tasks taking on spiritual value in accordance with the philosophy. The painted scene shows the patriarch's "Chan moment" in which he finally attains enlightenment through the resonating sound of the blade. The holy figure is drawn scruffy and almost caricature-like. This was meant to suggest that he is free from worldly concerns like appearance and social status/expectation. In this deceptively simple painting, Liang uses pale and wet brushstrokes. However, several dark lines are scattered throughout, as seen in the vine growing around the tree on the left side of the image, and accents on Huineng's clothing. Liang's style of abbreviated, expressive painting, along with his ability to casually create compelling images is what made him famous among Chan monks. File:Liang Kai - Li Bai Strolling.jpg, Li Bai Strolling File:Immortal in Splashed Ink.jpg, Drunken Celestial File:Liang Kai-Shakyamuni Emerging from the Mountains.jpg, Shakyamuni Emerging from the Mountains File:南宋梁楷澤畔行吟圖團扇-Poet strolling by a marshy bank MET DP154133.jpg, Poet strolling by a marshy bank

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang Kai Song dynasty painters Artists from Hangzhou Year of birth uncertain 1210s deaths 13th-century Chinese painters 12th-century Chinese painters Painters from Zhejiang Buddhist artists

Painting style

See also

References