Chen Rong (painter)

Chen Rong
(陳容)
Nine Dragons handscroll section by Chen Rong, 1244 CE, Chinese Song dynasty at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Born
陳容

1200
Died1266 (aged 65–66)
Known forDepictions of dragons
Notable workNine Dragons

Chen Rong (simplified Chinese: 陈容; traditional Chinese: 陳容; pinyin: Chén Róng; Wade–Giles: Ch'en Jung; c. 1200–1266)[1] was a Chinese painter and politician of the Southern Song dynasty celebrated for his depictions of dragons. The Nine Dragons handscroll in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bearing a date of 1244, is attributed to Chen.[2] [3] The Five Dragons handscroll in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, is also attributed to Chen Rong. [4] A longer version of the Five Dragons, also attributed to Chen Rong, is in the Tokyo National Museum. [5] The Eleven Dragons painting in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art was formerly attributed to Chen Rong, but now is assigned to the Ming dynasty period. [6] In March 2017, the Six Dragons handscroll, attributed to Chen Rong, was sold by Osaka's Fujita Art Museum at Christie's for almost $49 million.[7]


  1. ^ Barnhart, R. M. et al. (1997). Three thousand years of Chinese painting. New Haven, Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-07013-6. Page 372. Chen Rong's style name was Suoweng (所翁)
  2. ^ Nine Dragon's Scroll [dead link‍]
  3. ^ East Asian Scroll Paintings. University of Chicago Center for Art of East Asia. Nine Dragons. Chen Rong. https://scrolls.uchicago.edu/view-scroll/49
  4. ^ East Asian Scroll Paintings. University of Chicago Center for Art of East Asia. Five Dragons. Chen Rong. https://scrolls.uchicago.edu/view-scroll/168
  5. ^ Five Dragons (五龍圖) Attributed to Chen Rong (陳容, first half of 13th c.), Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) Handscroll, ink and light color on paper, 45.2 x 299.5 cm, Tokyo National Museum. http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-chen-rong-five-dragons.php
  6. ^ Eleven Dragons. https://asia.si.edu/object/F1919.173/
  7. ^ "‘My highlight of 2017’ — The Fujita Museum Six Dragons scroll" https://www.christies.com/features/2017-highlight-Fujita-Museum-dragon-scroll-8799-1.aspx