Jade Grotto in the Mountains of the Immortals

Jade Grotto in the Mountains of the Immortals

• Image Number: K2A001346N000000000PAA
• Dynasty: Ming dynasty
• Category: Paintings
• Author: Lu Zhi;陸治
• Form: 軸
• Exhibition dimension: 150×80
• Description:
  In the southeast of Yixing County, Jiangsu Province, there is Zhanggong Mountain and Zhanggong Cave in the mountain, which is said to be the place where Zhang Daoling of the Han Dynasty cultivated his moral character. Lu Zhi once traveled here and was most impressed by the mysterious scenery of the local strange rocks. This painting is a picture of Zhanggong Cave. The poem on the top of the painting can be said to be the sentiment of Ji You at that time, and also inadvertently left a record of Lu Zhi’s reclusive life. Lu Zhi placed the cave in the middle of the picture, creating a mysterious and remote artistic conception by virtue of the misty layout of overlapping mountains. Between the fusion of reality and imagination, Lu Zhi drew the feeling that the cave was far-reaching as if it had no end, and also drew a magical atmosphere in the immortal cave. The towering mountain in the painting adopts the pattern of people painting mountains in the Song Dynasty; The outline of the stone has many edges and corners, which belongs to Lu Zhi’s own common brushwork. It can be seen that Lu Zhi has now entered the stage of integration and application from the stage of imitating others’ brushwork. He can turn the ancients into his own, but naturally he does not feel rigid. Lu Zhi’s painting did not record the painting time, but it can be seen that it was painted after his pen and ink skills were mature, about 60 years old.