Dark Dreams: Painful Memories: A Thousand Li Of Rivers and Mountains

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As the famous Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures” (Henry Ward Beecher Quotes). Throughout history, noteworthy works of art have often been shaped by the emotions of their artists rather than the physical characteristics of the subjects depicted – as if they illustrated not the reality, but the dreams of their creators. For many prominent artists, these dreams are dark nightmares of painful memories. “The Abbey In Oakwood” by Caspar David Friedrich, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, “March to the Scaffold” by Hector Berlioz, “Stormtroops Advancing Under Gas” by Otto Dix, and “A Thousand Li Of Rivers and Mountains” by Wang Xi Meng are all famous pieces that connect to the theme of “Dark Dreams: Painful Memories”. As you explore this gallery, notice how all the artworks exhibited connect to the same theme in significantly disparate ways.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Thousand Li Of Rivers and Mountains

Wang Xi Meng, a teenage artist during the Song dynasty of China, painted A Thousand Li Of Rivers and Mountains in 1113. This painting is regarded as one of the “Ten Greatest Paintings of Ancient China” and depicts an idealized vision of China.

In the painting, Wang presents China in a spectacular manner. The 37-foot long canvas depicts innumerous magnificent landscapes, remarkable architecture, exotic animals, and humans living in harmony and peace (Baidu Baike). His vivid and glorified portrayal of China conveys a sense of prosperity and powerfulness of the country. The background is heavily tinted with gold – a color signifying wealth and royalty – further glorifying the country. However, an ominous darkness looms over the top of the painting, perhaps symbolizing the approach of an evil threat.

Although Wang portrayed a majestic empire in his painting, A Thousand Li Of Rivers And Mountains ironically contrasts with the contemporary state of China. That period of the Song Dynasty was a time of decadence; the emperor Huizong indulged in the arts and devoted his time to romantic affairs, leaving the empire to suffer from disorder and foreign invasion (Baidu Baike).Wang’s work portrayed a glorious China before the reign of Huizong.

At first glance, the painting simply portrays the splendid landscape of China.

However, when considering the historical context of the painting, it is in fact a lamentation for the past glory of China. The painting presented a view of China that could no longer be found in Wang’s life, suggesting that the scene was a dreamlike image created in his mind from memories and literary works. The remembrance of past glory laments the contemporary state of China and thus these memories are painful to the patriotic Wang, hence connecting the painting to the idea of “Dark Dreams: Painful Memories”. Thematically, this painting is similar, in a way, to The Abbey in Oakwood as the creator of both works express wistful reminiscence of past glory and mourn for the contemporary state of their country.

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If you liked my blog...

If you enjoyed my blog, you may also find Catherine’s blog – Shattered Dreams and Hopeless Desires – intriguing.

Catherine’s gallery’s theme relates in many ways to that of mine. While my gallery Dark Dreams: Painful Memories displays artists’ upsetting dreams/hallucinations caused by sorrowful or disturbing memories, the gallery Shattered Dreams and Hopeless Desires demonstrates the devastation and helplessness people experience when stark reality threatens their hopes and dreams. Both galleries relate to the notion of “ dreams” and convey upsetting senses of loss, regret, helplessness, loneliness, and depression.

Many artwork displayed in the two galleries interrelate. For example, thematically, the symphony March To The Scaffold and the painting The Praying Hands are very similar. Both works displays a hope – a dream – impossible to fulfill; in March To The Scaffold Berlioz grieves for unappreciated love and in The Praying Hands Dürer laments his brother’s disfigured hands that forever denied him the dream of painting. Although the two artists express their sorrow for unreachable hopes in different ways – Berlioz desperately and Dürer delicately, both convey similar emotions of grief, helplessness, and regret. Indeed, the themes of the two galleries relate so closely that both featured the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch. Both galleries relate this painting to their themes due to Munch’s expression of his inner fear, anguish, and hopelessness as a result of his mental illness and devastating childhood, which both connects to “hopeless desires” and “painful memories”.

Also Interesting...

Another interesting outside link to my blog is Aman’s blog The Unknown.

Although the names of the two blogs suggest disparate themes – one about dreams and the other about exploring the unknown – the two art galleries, in fact, closely relate to each other. Indeed, the gallery Dark Dreams: Painful Memories explores the unknown in many ways and the gallery The Unknown displays dreamlike renditions of the obscurities of both past and future. For example, the unique style and background The Scream in my gallery cast a mysterious air on the painting and The Amazement of the Gods in Aman’s gallery portrays a dreamlike scene of a mythical past.

There is a particularly strong concurrence of the presentation of the past – both memories and imaginary scenes of a time long gone. For example, the Gas Pillars In The Eagle Nebula in the gallery The Unknown portrays a magnificent natural phenomenon that a supernova sadly destroyed nearly sixty thousand years ago. While this picture expresses the intriguing nature of an unknown past, it is also a lamentation for the glory and beauty of natural wonder that no longer exist. This is similar to the painting A Thousand Li Of Rivers And Mountains on my gallery in the way that they both lament past magnificence. Caspar David Friedrich’s painting The Abbey In Oakwood also connects to this mourning of the past; further, it connects to both galleries by its link to a dreamlike depiction of a funeral procession and its ominous hint of the unknown. Indeed, this painting is present in both galleries, further relating the two galleries with each other.