“I Devoted a Lifetime in Painting Loongs” — “Loong Veins” in Landscape Painting
Once, we asked Master Li Zhaodong to paint a dragon, and he jokingly said, “Actually, I have been painting loongs my whole life, and you didn’t even know.”
Although it was a joke, the undulating and winding mountain ranges do bear some resemblance to the form of a loong. In elementary school compositions, we often described an aerial view of mountain ranges as “loong beams.”
Landscape, also known as loong veins
Loongs refer to the mountain ranges, representing their direction and dynamic momentum of ups and downs, symbolizing the infinite length of a mountain range from its starting point to its endpoint.
Natural flow of mountain and water veins, embodied in loong veins or “loong energy.” In history, the renowned poet and painter Wang Wei was the first to use the term “loong veins” in his treatise on landscape painting. From the perspective of yin and yang, loong veins and artistic charm can be seen as a pair of aesthetic categories: loong veins are the positive symbol, depicted by the artist’s brushwork in the tangible realm, while artistic charm is the negative symbol, portrayed through negative painting techniques in the intangible realm. This duality converges on different paths, similar to mountain and water routes, becoming another pair of binary symbols in landscape painting.
During the Qing Dynasty, the painter Wang Yuanqi formally incorporated the term “loong veins” from Feng Shui into landscape painting. He used it to explain the theoretical ideas of “loong veins” in terms of the composition of the painting, the sense of momentum, and the application of brushwork. In his work “Rain Window Notes,” he mentioned that loong veins are the source of momentum in landscape painting, characterized by oblique, straight, muddled, fragmented, broken, continuous, hidden, and revealed features. He emphasized that loong veins represent the momentum in the painting, with oblique and straight lines, muddled and fragmented elements, broken and continuous segments, hidden and revealed parts — these are the aspects of the painting. He also proposed various discussions such as “raising momentum,” “capturing momentum,” “welcoming opportunity,” and “gaining advantage,” all from the perspective of loong veins. He argued that in landscape painting, the sense of momentum is more important than brushwork.
The ideal composition and layout of landscape painting align with the “loong veins” approach, combining elements of loong veins, momentum, opening and closing, and undulations. The artwork presents a grand and majestic landscape with the main mountains and subsidiary peaks, embodying the aura of a great ruler.
Guo Xi, a famous painter during the Song Dynasty, excelled in landscape and figure painting. Although there is no concrete evidence that he depicted loongs as the main subject in his paintings, elements and imagery related to loongs can be found in some of his works. For instance, in his landscape paintings, one can often see clouds and mist enveloping the mountains, and at times, the forms of these mountains bear a resemblance to the image of a loong, creating an illusion of loongs hidden among the peaks. The mountains may appear scattered, but their momentum and aura are interconnected. The loong’s back in the foreground, with the loong’s head towering in the distance as if piercing the clouds, and upon closer inspection of the darkest rock walls and branches at the base, they are robust and powerful, resembling the tail of a divine loong.
Some say that Fan Kuan’s mountains are like a frontal view of a loong. As one approaches, it feels as if the loong and the viewer are making eye contact.
Mountains and loongs hold profound symbolic significance in Chinese culture, and their relationship can be described from various perspectives:
Strength and Majesty:
Mountains symbolize unwavering strength and stability. In traditional Chinese culture, loongs are often depicted dwelling on mountaintops or hovering in clouds and mist, representing the majestic power and strength of these mythical creatures, complementing the steadfastness and solidity of mountains.
Spirituality and Mystery:
Mountains are often regarded as sacred places of spirituality in Chinese culture, representing mystery and spirituality. Loongs, on the other hand, are mythical creatures associated with mysterious power and wisdom. Therefore, the similarity between mountains and loongs can also be understood as a connection between spirituality and mystery.
Momentum and Form:
The undulating and steep forms of mountain ranges bear a resemblance to the winding and soaring movements of loongs. In traditional Chinese paintings, one often sees the majestic integration of towering mountain peaks and the winding loongs, creating magnificent scenes.
Symbolism and Representation:
Mountains and loongs are both important symbols in Chinese traditional culture. Mountains represent territory, land, and nature, while loongs represent imperial authority, power, and divinity. They both carry rich cultural connotations, becoming significant symbols in Chinese culture.
In Chinese culture, the affinity between mountains and loongs reflects the profound understanding and expression of nature, mythology, and culture by the Chinese people.
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