Morning Sun over Heavenly Citadel Peak China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Morning Sun over Heavenly Citadel Peak

天都曉日圖

1614

Ding Yunpeng 丁雲鵬

(Chinese, 1547-c. 1628)

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper

Painting: 212.7 x 55.4 cm (83 3/4 x 21 13/16 in.); Overall with knobs: 344.1 x 87.7 cm (135 1/2 x 34 1/2 in.)

Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1965.28

Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

Mount Huang, known for its scenic beauty, is one of China's major tourist attractions.

Description

A birthday gift, this scroll by Ding Yunpeng from Anhui is among the earliest paintings of Mount Huang (Yellow Mountains), here depicting Heavenly Citadel Peak. The mountains are named after the legendary Yellow emperor who is said to have visited the place to look for the essence of immortality. Deep red strokes accentuate vegetation and allude to cinnabar, the alleged elixir of immortality.

Difficult to climb and access, Mount Huang in Anhui province did not become a destination for hikers nor a subject for artists before the late Ming dynasty, when steps were built. Today its towering peaks are a national site and tourist attraction.