Boneless Landscape after Yang Sheng

I once saw a genuine work by Yang Sheng with mountains done in colored wash without outline. From this, one realizes the striking impact of the ancients’ spontaneous brush, that, like the fleeting glow of vermilion clouds, is something rarely seen in this world. Dong Xuanzhai [Dong Qichang] painted in the spring of yimao year [1615]

“Boneless” (mogu) painting is a technique where a painter applies colors to a surface without first outlining the subjects in ink. Dong Qichang was fascinated by early painting techniques of artists like Yang Sheng (active 713–741 C.E.), as referenced in the painting’s inscription.