ATTRIBUTED FU BAOSHI (1904 -...
ATTRIBUTED FU BAOSHI (1904 - 1965)
'Yuan An Reading a Book'
Ink and colour on paper, 95 x 48 cm
With inscription and four seals, mounted on scroll hanging
A celebrated painter of Chinas modern period, Fu Baoshi is known for creating images, which honoured Chinese cultural heritage during a time of considerable flux in the country. Coming of age as an artist during the Communist Revolution impacted Fus aesthetic and visual language. While there was a movement in the early decades of the 20th century, towards a modernization of traditional artistic techniques, particularly in the area of calligraphy and ink wash painting, Fu still saw value in the older forms of artistry. He worked to incorporate the calligraphic brushwork of traditional Chinese painting, with a stronger use of colour and washes to produce greater tonal range.
The nationalistic subject matter can be seen in this present work attributed to the artist. An inscription on the painting translates as Yuan An Reading aBook, presumably referring to the man we see sitting at desk by the window. Yuan An was an important scholar and statesman in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220AD) serving at the courts of both Emperor Zhang and Emperor He. Considered the golden age in Chinese history, the Han Dynasty spanned over four centuries. It was period of significant economic prosperity as well as major developments in areas of science and technology, in particular the process of papermaking. It is understandable why Fu would choose to depict a figure of such importance from a period of great pride for Chinese people. Even to this day the majority ethnic group in the country refer to themselves as Han Chinese and the written script is known as Han Characters.
There is a nostalgic tendency to Fus work in which he is looking to the history of the country as inspiration and expression of the Communist ideal. Set within the beautiful Chinese countryside, the grandeur of the countrys landscape is captured in the monumental mountains, luscious vegetation and surging rivers. Yuan is nestled in amongst the trees, surveying the world around him. The layered application of ink, almost dripping down the scroll in - to borrow a term from western artistic tradition - an abstract expressionist manner, creates a composition of deeply charged atmospheric effects.
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ATTRIBUTED FU BAOSHI (1904 - 1965)
'Yuan An Reading a Book'
Ink and colour on paper, 95 x 48 cm
With inscription and four seals, mounted on scroll hanging
A celebrated painter of Chinas modern period, Fu Baoshi is known for creating images, which honoured Chinese cultural heritage during a time of considerable flux in the country. Coming of age as an artist during the Communist Revolution impacted Fus aesthetic and visual language. While there was a movement in the early decades of the 20th century, towards a modernization of traditional artistic techniques, particularly in the area of calligraphy and ink wash painting, Fu still saw value in the older forms of artistry. He worked to incorporate the calligraphic brushwork of traditional Chinese painting, with a stronger use of colour and washes to produce greater tonal range.
The nationalistic subject matter can be seen in this present work attributed to the artist. An inscription on the painting translates as Yuan An Reading aBook, presumably referring to the man we see sitting at desk by the window. Yuan An was an important scholar and statesman in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220AD) serving at the courts of both Emperor Zhang and Emperor He. Considered the golden age in Chinese history, the Han Dynasty spanned over four centuries. It was period of significant economic prosperity as well as major developments in areas of science and technology, in particular the process of papermaking. It is understandable why Fu would choose to depict a figure of such importance from a period of great pride for Chinese people. Even to this day the majority ethnic group in the country refer to themselves as Han Chinese and the written script is known as Han Characters.
There is a nostalgic tendency to Fus work in which he is looking to the history of the country as inspiration and expression of the Communist ideal. Set within the beautiful Chinese countryside, the grandeur of the countrys landscape is captured in the monumental mountains, luscious vegetation and surging rivers. Yuan is nestled in amongst the trees, surveying the world around him. The layered application of ink, almost dripping down the scroll in - to borrow a term from western artistic tradition - an abstract expressionist manner, creates a composition of deeply charged atmospheric effects.
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