ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)

Mountain Living in Autumn

Closed19 March 2019

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ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)
Mountain Living in Autumn
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated gengxu year (1970)
Entitled by the artist on the reverse
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and color on Japanese gold board
23 5/8 x 17 ¾ in. (58.4 x 43.2 cm.)

Acquired directly from the artist in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

In the 1950s, Zhang began to move beyond traditional Chinese landscapes, experimenting with the splashed-ink technique that can be traced back more than a millennium to the Tang dynasty-era artist Wang Qia and Gu Kuang. His time abroad exposed him to a much wider range of artistic styles that than were not available in China, and the experiences of new cultures and geographies no doubt became a great source of inspiration, influencing his free and expressive splashed ink style. In the early 1960s, he further built on this technique and began adding splashes of color to his works. Though he looked towards the past and consciously engaged with China’s artistic traditions, he also broke away from it. Zhang once wrote, “My way of painting mountains amidst clouds is different from that of Mi Fu, Mi Youren, Gao Kegong, or Fang Congyi. I forge my own path.”
At once both rooted in tradition and modern in its abstraction, Mountain Living in Autumn is composed of both simple silhouettes of houses minimally outlined with simple brushstrokes, as well as fluid and amorphous forms built up by swathes of ink splashes of rich vegetation. Composed of vibrant washes of seafoam green and rich azure, the painting is further dotted with crimson details and highlighted by pale mist and clouds against the luminous gold paper.

Painted in 1970, Mountain Living in Autumn stands as a culmination of his astonishing career. His years of dedication and training led to his splashed ink technique in which he depicts magnificent landscapes of extraordinary grace and grandeur, by employing the controlled and uncontrollable distribution and absorption of ink on his canvases, a visual effect which has since become iconic, cementing his status as one of the most important Chinese artists of all time.

Specialist note

This painting was acquired by the owner’s family in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Their relationship with the artist began when Zhang Daqian and the present owner’s grandfather became personal friends.

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ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)

Mountain Living in Autumn

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ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)

Mountain Living in Autumn

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