The Wangchuan Villa

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Wangchuan Villa was the retreat of the famous poet Wang Wei (699–759); the site was located on the outskirts of Chang’an (now Xi’an), capital of the Tang dynasty (618–970). Wang Wei converted part of his estate into a Buddhist temple after his mother’s death and painted a panoramic view of the Wang-chuan Villa on its walls. Although the temple was destroyed during the Huichang Persecution of Buddhism (841–45), the original mural has inspired artists for more than a thousand years. This handscroll painting is based on a stone engraving from 1617, the image that became the most widely accepted model for representations of Wangchuan Villa.

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