Zhan Jianjun (China, B. 1931)

Zhan Jianjun (China, B. 1931) "Fog in the Stone Forest" Original oil on canvas painting.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is an original unsigned oil on canvas by Zhan Jianjun that was commissioned directly by Helzer for Unicover. Helmuth Stone Gallery and Wind River Studios both guarantee the authenticity of this piece. This painting appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the China 8fen Fog in the Stone Forest stamp issue of September 18, 1981.

Pearl gray light softens the stark outlines of rough cliff walls in China's famous Stone Forest, nature's wonderland carved in rock. Fantasy and enchantment are etched in these unusual stone formations, creating fantastic views and illusions through their everchanging shapes. In a silent, primeval sleep, these strange forms stand like ancient Druids, dark and mysterious. Wisps of fog cling to their rocky faces like spindrift, while a velvet mantle of clouds shrouds them in opaque serenity. Feathery vines garland their craggy ridges with mauve and violet fringe, bringing a delicate, fragile brightness to the lifeless, unreal forms. As haunted air entwines these stone ghosts of antiquity with a heather mist, one has the impression of being in another world, a world of mysterious secrets waiting to be uncovered. The infinity of patterns and hues of the rock formations in the Stone Forest opens a new world of boundless vision to the visitor. Indeed, what can be seen here is limited only by the imagination, varied by the subtle and shifting moods of the days and seasons. Split and carved as if by some magic power into fantastic and even grotesque shapes, the cliffs of China's Stone Forest are pictured in this artwork in a veiled mist. Imbued with the mystery and fantasy of nature, the age-old secrets of these mysterious formations await the thoughtful discovery of contemplation and imagination.

Image Size: 27.5 x 23.5 in.
Overall Size: 28 x 24.25 in.
(B07309)
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