The Brush and the Mountain In the quietude of the Ming dynasty, Chen Gua practiced the art of the brush, focusing his attention on the landscape and the scholar. His work often captures a sense of stillness, where the natural world is rendered with a specific, deliberate intent. In pieces like Bright Lake and Beautiful Mountains, dated around 1549, there is a focus on the way light and water interact with the ruggedness of the terrain. The mountains do not merely exist; they occupy space with a weight that feels grounded and real. His approach to painting suggests a life spent observing the s…