Song Xu

CHINA, Zhejiang, Jiaxing; Ming dynasty

Song Xu had a Dharma name of Zuxuan and was also known as Chu Yang. He was a painter who enjoyed traveling, often staying in temples and leading a simple and carefree lifestyle. Because of his frequent temple stays, people used to refer to him as the “Monk with Hair;” ironically, he did eventually renounce.
A professional poet, calligrapher, and an especially good painter, Song worked in the Wumen school tradition. His teacher Shen Zhou also taught him the ancient style of Juran, which involved painting various mountain peaks and forests in a vigorous and unadorned manner. Song particularly admired and respected the works of Lee Cheng, Guan Tong, and Fan Kuan of the Song dynasty (960–1279).
Buddhist paintings by Song include Bodhidharma Facing the Wall, a pen and ink piece executed with a calm, concise, and polished technique, which is now kept at the Lushun Museum in Dalian, Liaoning. Other masterpieces include Poet Bai Juyi, kept at the Tianjin Museum; Peach Blossom Spring, kept at the Sichuan Museum in Chongqing; and Autumn Scene of Wanshan and others at the Palace Museum in Beijing.