The Journey to the West is Fan Kuan's masterpiece and also a masterpiece in China's painting history. This painting depicts a typical northern scenery, with the words "Fan Kuan" engraved among the leaves. The main part of this painting is a towering mountain. The mountain rises to the sky and is full of vitality. The top of the mountain is densely forested, and a white waterfall at the intersection of the two peaks flies down like a silver line, adding a sense of transfer to the serious and quiet atmosphere.
There are strange stones lying in the mountains nearby, among which there are miscellaneous trees, pavilions are exposed at the top of the trees, streams are running away, and the slopes of stone paths are winding at the bottom of the dense trees. On Yin Shan Road, a group of passengers came from right to left. Four mules and four horses were dragging heavy goods.
In the upper right corner of the frame, there are ten characters of Fan Zhongli's trip to the Western Hills in the Northern Song Dynasty neatly written by calligrapher Dong Qichang in the late Ming Dynasty, and there is an inscription "Fan Kuan" among the grass leaves in the shade at the lower right of the frame. There are many collectors' inscriptions on the painting, including the seal and color of "Treasure of Imperial Books" with obvious characteristics of the Song Dynasty, and the seal of "Treasure of Imperial Books" specially collected by Emperor Qianlong on the painting scroll.
The first impression of the work "Journey to Mount Xi" is that it is magnificent, with huge peaks standing on the wall and almost occupying the picture. The mountains are densely covered with trees, waterfalls flow down from the waist of the mountain, and boulders crisscross at the foot of the mountain, making the whole work complicated. A caravan appeared on the mountain road, and a stream flowed by the roadside, which was a waterfall flowing down from the mountain, making the viewer seem to hear the sound of water, voices and horses.
Extended data
Fan Kuan, whose real name is Zhongzheng, is neutral. Because he is generous, he is called "Fan Kuan", a native of Huayuan (now Yaoxian, Shaanxi). He is a heavy drinker and deeply influenced by the Taoist aesthetics of "there is great beauty in heaven and earth". He has lived in Zhong Nanshan and Taihua Mountain for a long time, sitting in danger all day, watching everything for the interest of painting.
The composition of his paintings is rigorous and complete, the mountains are majestic, the boulders are abrupt, the trees are lush, the picture is full and wide, and the momentum is magnificent, which fully shows the natural scene between Qin and Dragon. Surviving works include Snow Scene and Cold Forest Map, Travel Map of Xishan Mountain, etc. The Journey to the West is a silk ink painting created by Fan Kuan in the Northern Song Dynasty, which is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.