Scenery of Travels

YUAN SONGNIAN (1895-1966) Scenery of Travels Album of twelve leaves, ink and colour on paper Each leaf measures 33.5 x 27.5 cm. (13 ¼ x 10 7/8 in.) Each leaf entitled, inscribed, and signed, with one seal of the artist Each leaf accompanied by one leaf of calligraphy on the opposite side, each inscribed, and signed by the artist with one seal Dated autumn, jimao year (1939) SPECIALIST’S NOTE: The twelve album leaves each depicts a different scenery, as follows: The Sea of Clouds of Mount Huang Viewing Waterfall Scenery of Guilin Fishing in the Misty River Cranes and Deer in Spring Scenery of Mount Xiaogu Fishing Village in the Morning Scenery of Fuchun River Autumn Dusk Towering Mountains Snow in West Lake Fishing in the River Out of the twelve album leaves, four of them depicts specific sites: Mount Huang, Guilin, Fuchun River and West Lake. Each of these four sites have been depicted numerous times in Chinese landscape paintings, with the most famous one perhaps being Fuchun River, depicted by one of the four masters of the Yuan Dynasty, Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. Many leaves also depicted recluses in the mountains. These are also common motifs in Chinese landscape paintings: Recluses symbolize the retired scholars living amid nature, appreciating its beauty. Yuan Songnian, born in Panyu, Guangdong, studied Western paintings, and incorporated Western techniques into Chinese paintings. This album is an example of Western techniques’ influence of Yuan’s work.