Wang Hui (1632–1717), styled Shi Gu, also known as Qing Hui Lao Ren, was a preeminent landscape painter of the early Qing Dynasty, one of the "Four Wangs", the founder of the Yushan School, and hailed as the "Painting Sage of the Early Qing". His work Pavilions in the Immortal Mountains (also Immortal Mountains and Jade Pavilions, ink on silk, 86 cm × 47.6 cm, collected by the Palace Museum, Beijing, dated 1702) is a masterpiece that perfectly embodies his artistic creed: "Adopting the brushwork of the Yuan Dynasty, the composition of the Song Dynasty, and infused with the verve of the Tang Dynasty".
In terms of technical synthesis, Pavilions in the Immortal Mountains is a brilliant demonstration of Wang Hui’s ability to integrate the northern and southern landscape traditions. He borrowed the vigorous and steep mountain forms from the northern school (represented by Fan Kuan) and blended them with the elegant, calligraphic brushwork of the southern school (inherited from Huang Gongwang and Wang Meng). The painting uses a combination of dry and wet brush techniques, with delicate texturing strokes like ox-hair texture (niuma cun) that flow flexibly, building layers of mountain rocks. The pavilions are subtly nestled among dense forests and steep cliffs, not obtrusive but forming the spiritual core of the scene, balancing the grandeur of nature with the refined taste of literati.
In terms of compositional rhythm and spatial construction, the work shows an extraordinary sense of order and dynamism. The foreground is filled with lush trees with distinct textures; the middle ground features overlapping mountain ranges, narrow valleys, and winding streams; the background has towering peaks reaching into the clouds, with mist permeating between the mountains, creating a profound three-dimensional space from near to far. Wang Hui broke the rigid boundaries of traditional landscape composition, allowing the mountains and forests to connect naturally, and the momentum to rise and fall in an orderly manner, making the static picture full of implicit movement.
In terms of artistic heritage and innovation, Pavilions in the Immortal Mountains is far more than a simple imitation of ancient masters. As an 80-year-old work of Wang Hui, it reflects his lifelong artistic exploration: on the one hand, he paid homage to the classics and integrated the essence of landscape painting from the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties; on the other hand, he injected his own perception of nature and artistic personality, realizing the transformation from "copying the ancient" to "renovating the ancient". This work not only consolidated his status in the Orthodox School of Qing landscape painting, but also set a benchmark for the later generations of literati landscape painting, influencing the development of Chinese landscape painting in the following centuries.