In the spring of 2016, a monumental oil painting titled Zhouzhuang sold at a Hong Kong auction for HK$236 million [US$30 million], setting a record for modern and contemporary Chinese oil paintings.
The work was created by Wu Guanzhong, one of China’s best-known modern artists. In the painting, Zhouzhuang’s whitewashed walls appear as bright as snow, while rows of dark-tiled roofs stretch across the canvas. Touches of green and yellow bring movement and warmth to the scene, capturing the misty atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town.
The sale once again drew international attention to this 900-year-old settlement on the Taihu Plain.
Yet long before Wu interpreted Zhouzhuang through his distinctive use of lines, shapes, and colors, another painter had already introduced the ancient town to the wider world with an unusual “key.”
The painting was Memories of My Hometown.
The artist was Chen Yifei.
…
Read the full article on Nspirement
Comments