Posthumous Post
Please enjoy another of my Chinese ink and colour landscape paintings inspired by a poem written by the famous Qing Dynasty poet and artist ”Yun Shouping”. In the poem, Yun describes a beautiful landscape painting of magnificent and precipitous mountains and deep valleys surrounded by clouds and mists as good artwork. This poem inspired several famous Chinese landscape painters to create highly valued masterpieces.
Yun Nantian (1633-1690), better known as Shouping, was a native of Changzhou in Jiangsu Province. Together with Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Huan, Wang Yuanqi, and Wu Li, they are collectively known as the “Six Great Scholars of the Qing Dynasty”. The following is the poem’s full text in four sentences of seven words each, with the last word of sentences 1, 2 and 4 rhyming.
点石移泉兴不穷，
墨花能與碧云通。
不須著屐尋山去，
萬壑千崖在此中。
The following is my interpretation of the poem:
An artist can use the brush to draw the shape, size, and most beautiful appearance of stones that constitute the body of the mountains and cliffs, and he can place streams in the positions he desires. This process provides endless fun and pleasure to the artist. He depicts floating clouds with a variety of shades of ink-stained patterns. There is no need to put on shoes and travel far distances to look for good mountain scenery, as the most magnificent mountains and valleys can be found in this painting.
This painting depicts the sentiments expressed in this poem. It depicts high mountain cliffs, deep valleys, waterfalls, and rapid-running streams. There is also a stone bridge and a visitor wearing blue garments stands on it to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.
Tan It Koon
Before retirement, Dr Tan It Koon was, among many appointments, Head of Clinical Biochemistry at SGH’s Dept of Pathology. He was the Deputy Chairman of the National Theatre Trust and Chairman for Grants and Scholarships of the Spore Cultural Foundation. He received the National Day Awards, PBM, and PPA, for his contribution to cultural and community development and excellence in Public Administration.
