Contemplating Rocks

Evocative and unchanging, Chinese scholars’ rocks—also called gongshi—have served as objects of contemplation and inspiration for thousands of years. And the presence of these rocks in homes and gardens and their depiction in Chinese art continues to inform Chinese art history and philosophy today.

In Contemplating Rocks, the renowned art dealer Marcus Flacks offers a sumptuous new exploration of the world of Chinese scholars’ rocks. Richly illustrated with photographs of some of the world’s most exquisite collections and enriched by lavish reproductions of original paintings by leading Chinese ink painters such as Liu Dan, Xu Lei, and Tai Xiangzhou, Flacks offers readers a deeper understanding of the enigmatic and introspective world of scholars’ rocks in classical Chinese culture. An illuminating historical note by Robert D. Mowry, curator of Chinese Art and head of the Department of Asian Art at the Harvard Art Museums, complements this gorgeous volume.

Marcus Flacks has been one of the forces behind the promotion and illumination of Chinese objets d'art for more than twenty years. He is also the author of Chinese Classical Furniture.