Wu Guanzhong

Important Private Asian Collection

Shui Tianzhong & Wang Hua, ed., The Complete Works of Wu Guanzhong Vol. II, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, Changsha, 2007, p. 304
Wu Keyu, ed., World Famous Painter: Wu Guanzhong, Hebei Education Publishing House, Shijiazhuang, 2010, p. 94

The work is in overall good condition. There are pinholes and nailheads covered in paint along the four edges. There are a few small paint losses near the lower left corner, and two short minor cracks near the top edge at the upper left corner. There is a faint vertical mark across the top band and some hairline scratches nearby. No sign of restoration can be seen under UV examination.
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An Arduous Journey and an Essay Inscribed in Stone

Wu Guanzhong, A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I

The landscape works of Wu Guanzhong are based on work done in situ. The processes involved were often difficult and hazardous, and thus the creation of the Lao Mountains series in 1975 was no easy task. In that year, the Qingdao Sifang Machinery Factory was ordered to manufacture presidential carriages for the Tanzania to Zambian railway line, and Wu Guanzhong was invited to paint the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro and the Victoria Falls. The resulting paintings would be used to decorate the carriages. Wu Guanzhong accepted the invitation to go to Qingdao and after the task at the factory was complete, he went on to paint the Lao Mountains in situ. Near the Beijiushui River area of the Lao Mountains, Wu Guanzhong and his party became lost. They narrowly escaped the prowling wolves and venomous snakes that move about the mountain at night, and were fortunate enough to be rescued. The artist retrieved a fist-sized rock during the trip and his student, Wang Jinjia, engraved it with four characters, which read “Lost in the Lao Mountains”; Wu Guanzhong placed this upon his desk as a souvenir. The paintings created on this trip are even more precious, in the light of this thrilling and dangerous experience, and A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I (Lot 1032)is one of the largest panoramic paintings from this time.

Wondrous Entwined Rocks and the Conveyance of a Lifelike Calmness

Lao mountains are located on the coast of the Yellow Sea in the Laoshan District of Qingdao, Shandong, and are well known for the wondrous rock formations of its landscapes. Since ancient times, the area has been linked with many legends of immortals, and has thus become an important Taoist Holy Place. While Wu Guanzhong was in the process of doing fieldwork in the Lao Mountains, he focussed upon expressing the beauty of the rocks. In his article The Pines and Rocks of the Lao Mountains, he mentioned:

“I’ve never seen any Taoist priests in the Lao Mountains: there are plenty of stones on and around the mountain though, perhaps the Taoist priests have already turned to stone. There are large black rocks that look like cattle lying down, or perhaps lions or elephants. Ask Picasso or Henry Moore to have a look, and see just whose abstract works they are.”

In the foreground of A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I lies the rocky shore at the base of the Lao Mountains. The central position is occupied by a huge boulder surrounded by smaller rocks, which are juxtaposed with the endless expanse of the Yellow Sea in the distance. This was created using steady structural drawings, which have the advantage of emphasising the weight and simplicity of the rocks. However, if this method is not correctly applied, the results can appear stagnant and dull. The genius of an artist lies in the ability to balance and make adjustments to the details. With careful analysis, the rocks visible in the foreground (especially the two rocks placed in the lower left and the central lower quadrant) and the rock in the centre of the painting appear to be creating momentum, as the lower rocks pull towards the left and the central rock directs to the right. The rock in the distance has the same shape as the huge central boulder, but it faces the opposite direction, adding a further layer of complexity to the momentum. The relationship of “foreground-middle ground-distance”, has been laid out to generate a momentum of “left-right-left”, and with the addition of the smaller transitional stones, the viewers may become unaware of these subtle patterns. View the painting through the arrangement made by the artist and follow the Z-shaped path through the scene; or, take a winding path from the foreground to the distance, or even trace a smooth path from the distance back to the foreground. These methods of viewing unify the main elements of the painting.

The Level Distance Perspective and Close-up Objects

A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I uses the “level distance” perspective of traditional Chinese painting. In addition to emphasising the vast expanse and depth of the painting, this perspective also enhances the magnificence of the huge rocks upon the shore. In another smaller painting, A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains II, Wu Guanzhong uses an aerial perspective to capture the overall scene, bringing the coastal headland down to eye-level and creating the effect of “making the large look small”. In the real world, the size of the gap between the rocks and headland cannot be easily measured, but it has been reflected in this painting. The rocky shore of A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I is actually even bigger than the entire headland in A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains II, and this effect has been entirely created by the artist.

In the process of rendering the rocks, Wu Guanzhong adopted an anthropomorphic approach. As he previously mentioned, he would see stones as cattle, lions, elephants, and even Taoist priests. These elements of inspiration have been applied to the paintings, and so the image of the rocky shore appears very lively, especially the huge central boulder. Its edges have become rounded after millions of years of being eroded by the sea, and eventually have mostly disappeared. Coupled with the artist’s deliberate enhancement of the natural momentum, the huge boulder almost seems like a huge whale on the verge of leaping from the ocean’s waves. This work is like a snapshot of the landscape, and thus brims with vitality.

Hook Contour Lines and Building Colour to Create Body

In the article The Pines and Rocks of the Lao Mountains, Wu Guanzhong emphasises the importance of using lines to express the characteristics of interesting rocks. In several areas within A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I, the artist has visibly used hook contour lines, which lend the work a calligraphic feel. These hook contour lines flow and flourish without trying to match the colours in between. This randomness is very much the essence of free-hand painting. From the 1970s onwards, Wu Guanzhong alternated between the mediums of oil and ink to create work, which he named “the hardships of land and water”. In his use of different media, the implementation of traditional and international techniques, and the hook contour lines that structure his work, it is still apparent that his themes are very much connected to those of ink paintings.

In his handling of grey tones, the artist also displays his superb ability in distinguishing and deploying colour, creating dozens of different tones. These tones are used to depict size, moisture, light, weight, distance and texture. If A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains II were compared to A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I, it would become clear that the former utilises more subtle colour combinations, seeking to highlight the deep features of the heavy and rounded rocks. A mild pink has also been introduced to increase the feeling of warmth on the grey rocks. Although the pink has been used in small amounts, it plays a significant role, creating a balance with the cool greys and cyan hues prevalent throughout the work, while bringing areas of light and warmth to the scene. This truly showcases the artist’s skill with colour.

The “Circular Jade Ring” Composition and Endless Echoes

The momentum of the sea in A Seaside Scene of the Lao Mountains I is as inventive as the layout of the rocks. The painting has been created with a viewpoint that takes in the scene from a distant shore. It also cleverly uses the four sides of the painting to frame the sea, which encircles the central boulder in a “circular jade ring” composition, often found in Chinese landscape paintings. The waves surge and break from the right, flow into the shore in the foreground of the painting, and then ricochet to and fro until they slowly meander back out to the open sea. To render the waves, the artist has used a flat brush dipped in brilliant white lead paint to make short, sweeping, suggestive strokes upon the underlying cyan hues. This has created the overall right-to-left motion of the water, the central counter current produced by the waves crashing upon the rocks, and the sea spray. This is like the natural beating of drums and gongs: a grand symphony that not only bestows the scene with colour and movement, but also with the element of sound, bringing the viewer a pleasure that engages multiple senses.