Yu Chengyao 余承堯 | Landscape in ink 叠嶂

Formerly from the collection of Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter

Yu Chengyao

(1898-1993)

Landscape in ink

ink on paper, framed

34.2 x 34.7 cm 13 ½ x 13⅝in.

Despite his accidental start in painting at the age of 56, Yu Chengyao had a superb sense of structural design and was a highly acclaimed painter. Born in 1898, he was brought up by his grandmother after the tragic death of his parents. Yu was also a poet, calligrapher and researcher of Nan Kuan music.

Inspired by the landscapes of his native Fukien province, his work personified the Chinese obsession with rocks and mountains. However, due to his unfamiliarity and indifference towards paintings of the past, he strayed from the ts’un strokes of traditional painters, subconsciously innovating a new style of painting by looking at nature entirely from his own point of view. In this way, Yu is not tied to any traditional form or vision, producing original and refreshing works of art. After years of careful experimentation, his less than ideal ability to manipulate traditional brushstrokes has easily been compensated for by a skillful control and disposition of space, mass, light and shade, creating an overall effect comparable to western art. His lack of fine brushwork in no way hinders his ability to capture the peculiar configuration of rock surfaces, as well as the physical and spiritual essence of hills and streams. Overall, the total effect of his art is nothing short of astounding.

---------------------------------------

Markbreiter家族藏近代名家畫

余承堯　叠嶂

水墨紙本　鏡框

34.2 x 34.7 cm 13 ½ x 13⅝in.