Precipitous Mountains in Wind and Mist, Lu Yanshao

Exhibition Label: "Using the Past to Serve the Present in 20th Century Chinese Painting," Oct-2006, Ai-lian Liu, Asian Art Intern Lu Yanshao looked to the art of the past, drawing inspiration particularly from the “Individualist” masters Shitao (1642-1707) and Mei Qing (1623-1679). The short, broken and restless brushwork that gives shimmering light and movement to this painting pays homage to the brushwork of the latter. Lu also developed several distinctive techniques, including an effective use of negative space. In 1962, Lu was invited to join the faculty of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in Hangzhou. In 1979, he became the executive director of the Chinese Artists’ Association. One of his students was Wenda Gu (born 1955), who has gained great prominence in the international art world. Archive Label 2003: Born in Shanghai, Lu became famous as both a painter and calligrapher. In addition to learning painting from Feng Zhaoran, he spent a great deal of time at the Beijing Palace Museum studying the works of past masters. Lu developed a boldly individualistic style, utilizing dramatic contrasts of light and dark. This feature, combined with thrusting mountain peaks rendered with jagged contour lines creates a sense of agitation, evoking the mood of a violent storm.