At Ease in the Mountains, With a Book for Company

Introduction to A Quiet Life in the Mountains Is Perfect for Reading

Centered on the life of Shen Zhou, a master of the Wu School of painting during the Ming dynasty, this million-character epic paints a sweeping portrait of Jiangnan culture from 1440 to 1550, blending art history, social history, and the noble spirit of the literati. It follows Shen Zhou from his youth in a scholarly home in Xiangcheng, building a retreat on Xishan and declining official appointments three times, to carrying on the artistic traditions of the Song and Yuan dynasties through his brushwork and creating such enduring works as Lofty Mount Lu and the Dongzhuang Album. From nurturing Tang Yin and Wen Zhengming in the art of painting to transforming his style in his later years and opening up the “Rough Shen” realm, Shen Zhou made his mountain home a place of spiritual cultivation and painting and calligraphy the seal of his heart. Through him, the book connects the elegant gatherings of the mid-Ming, the changing fortunes of art collecting, everyday life in the towns, and shifts in thought. Through one man, the book reveals an entire era, capturing the literati’s spiritual devotion to reclusion through painting and calligraphy, and bringing to life a century of flourishing Jiangnan culture.