Xu Mangyao

Xu Mangyao
(
 – 
)
  • Young Scholar, 1989
    Oil on Canvas
    39" x 32" (99.1cm x 81.3cm)

    About this work

    Xu Mangyao has said about his painting style, “It is not exactly Surrealist and it is definitely not political! My work entitled “Young Scholar” is from a series I call ‘My Dreams’ and it reflects what I can imagine from two different perspectives, real and unreal perhaps, but still a perspective that can be seen. The French post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne discovered and applied principles of multiple perspectives in his painting and thus, multi-focus perspective came into being. Artists working with the concrete aspects of reality in this century should strive to probe, study, and develop visual art.”

  • Young Woman, 1989
    Oil on Canvas
    59" x 45" (149.9cm x 114.3cm)

    About this work

    Xu Mangyao has said that the influence for his painting of a young woman floating through a wall came to him when he saw a life-size sculpture of a woman in a museum in Italy and wanted to paint the same subject. Xu Mangyao states, “Somehow I saw a relationship between a wall and the human body because of this sculpture. It became the first in a series of four paintings I did of figures coming through walls.”

  • Young Scholar Sketch #1
    Pencil on Paper
    10" x 10" (25.4cm x 25.4cm)

    About this work

    Xu Mangyao says quite simply that first he gets an idea for a painting, then he makes photographs using models to support that idea, then he develops a series of sketches that will later be used for the finished painting. This sketch is one of two he did for his painting in The Hefner Collection entitled “Young Woman”, although it also resembles the composition of “Young Scholar”, also in The Hefner Collection.

  • Young Woman Sketch #1
    Ink on Paper
    10" x 10" (25.4cm x 25.4cm)

    About this work

    Xu Mangyao says quite simply that first he gets an idea for a painting, then he makes photographs using models to support that idea, then he develops a series of sketches that will later be used for the finished painting. This sketch is one of two he did for his painting in The Hefner Collection entitled “Young Woman”.

Xia Xing

Xia Xing
(
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)
  • February, 2001
    Oil on Canvas
    53" x 43" (134.6cm x 109.2cm)

    About this work

    “February” comes from a series of paintings Xia Xing created around the theme of concubines living in the Forbidden City and preparing themselves to meet the emperors. In the series, there is a painting for each month of the year, showing a different concubine living in a different part of the palace, such as the North Gate, or East Gate. Of this series, Xia Xing has commented, “Throughout China’s history, there are many women I adore and many stories I cannot forget. I once wished that I could have a time machine so I could reverse time and meet these wonderful women and experience their stories. Instead, I paint them.”

Wu Zuoren

Wu Zuoren
(
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)
  • Dragon Character, 1986
    Watercolor and Ink on Paper
    41" x 41" (104.1cm x 104.1cm)

    About this work

    Wu Zuoren was commissioned by Robert Hefner to create a symbol that would represent the spirit of his collection. Wu Zuoren stated about his painting, “I created this symbol for The Hefner Collection because the dragon stands for unlimited power and constant change, as well as the Chinese people and their art.” The calligraphy is written in a cursive style. The chop on the lower left is referred to as the ‘introduction chop’ and is translated as “Water is not necessarily deep.” Wu Zuoren took this from a poem written by the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming that says a house is not as attractive until it is lived in by a person who makes it well known. In essence, the artist was saying that The Hefner Collection would become known by the dragon character and that the dragon character would represent the Chinese artists in the collection.

  • Still Life, 1948
    Oil on Canvas
    25 5/8" x 21 1/2" (67.7cm x 54.6cm)

    About this work

    This beautiful still life of a vase full of brightly colored summer flowers is a superb example of Wu Zuoren’s oil painting style of the late 1940’s. In an interview with Wu Zuoren’s wife, Xiao Shufang, herself a recognized artist, she said of this painting, “At the end of the 1940’s, both my husband and I enjoyed making still lifes. I chose the vase for this particular painting at our home. My husband bought the red flowers at the market and we mixed them with sunflowers from our garden. It became one of our favorite still life paintings and hung in our home for many years.”

Wu Xiaochang

Wu Xiaochang
(
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)
  • Peasant Woman, 1986
    Oil on Canvas
    14" x 20" (35.5cm x 50.8cm)

    About this work

    This small study of a woman is produced in muted colors, which adds to its Impressionistic style. The clothing is not distinctly Chinese and the overall feeling of the piece is European, yet the artist says he painted it in Northern China as a field study for a larger work.

  • Return From Herding, 1986
    Oil on Canvas
    6" x 13" (15.2cm x 33cm)

    About this work

    This small field sketch in oil has a beautiful coloration and the way in which Wu Xiaochang has used the medium, it feels more like a watercolor. Oil painters would refer to this as a wash. The artist has said that even though he produced this as part of a study for a larger work, he liked the way it turned out and that the size forces the viewer to study it closely.

  • Evening Talks on the Plain, 1986
    Oil on Canvas
    14" x 20" (35.5cm x 50.8cm)

    About this work

    “Evening Talks on the Plain” is an exceptional Impressionist sketch in limited colors and tones that succeeds in interpreting exactly what the title implies. Two women have stopped momentarily to talk. The light of day is fading, there are no shadows left and evening is approaching. In a few strokes of color and form, the artist has managed to stop a moment in time.

Wu Guanzhong

Wu Guanzhong
(
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)
  • Longtan Lake in Autumn
    Watercolor & Pen on Paper
    12½" x 16" (32cm x 42cm)

    About this work

    A depiction of a popular scenic spot in Beijing. Wu Guanzhong did not choose the most well-known lake view garden in the scenic area to depict, but the corner of the wall covered with vines. It shows the artist’s understanding of lines and forms. The artist uses smooth lines to outline the walls, climbing vines and tree branches. He deliberately reduces the effect of color, leaving the work to the rhythm of pure lines and the beauty of structure. The overall picture maintains the freshness of watercolor sketching, compatible with traditional ink and wash techniques, and gives full play to the changes in the shades of ink in a single stroke. It combines the artist’s exquisite artistic creation techniques into one, successfully interpreting Beijing’s bleak but freehand autumn days. The style and appearance transform the ordinary walls into a beautiful symphony of various lines along the wall.

  • Market Place in Shaoxing, 1957
    Watercolor on Paper
    11" x 15" (27.9cm x 38.1cm)

    About this work

    Throughout his career, Wu Guanzhong has been able to move easily between watercolor, brush and ink painting, and oil painting. While he trained first in China as a brush painter, he was able to study Western watercolor techniques in Europe in the 1940’s and in “Market Place In Shaoxing,” produced in 1957, we can see the more structured form he applies to a typical Chinese scene painted on location in Shaoxing. The way in which he has applied the brightest colors to only the figures in the painting gives the market its vibrancy.

  • Hometown of Lu Xun, 1972
    Oil on Board
    12 5/8" x 9" (32.1cm x 22.9cm)

    About this work

    “Hometown of Lu Xun” is a perfect example of Wu Guanzhong’s blending of Chinese and Western painting techniques. Quite clearly, the more delicate brushstrokes in the painting resemble those of traditional Chinese ink and watercolor, yet the solid planes of color, representing the bridges and houses surrounding the canal in this landscape, utilize the texture and blending of tonalities more common to oil painting. This painting from Wu Guanzhong’s most productive decade of the 1970’s is part of a series he did on the hometown of China’s most famous poet.

  • Red Lotus, 1974
    Oil on Canvas
    39 3/8" x 28 3/4" (100cm x 73cm)

    About this work

    “Red Lotus” is considered by critics to be a masterpiece among the many great works of art created by Wu Guanzhong. It is also one of the artist’s favorite painitings. About this work, Wu Guanzhong has said, “Red Lotus was painted in 1974 and was once published in “Shan Xi Mass Art” on the cover of the magazine. It was also exhibited in the National Arts Exhibition in China in 1978, when the theme of fine art works still focused on political subjects. Somebody argued that the Red Lotus should not have been selected for the exhibition because it had no political theme, but then someone else guessed that the red lotus in the painting symbolized premier Zhou Enlai.”

  • Sketch in Quingdao, 1976
    Watercolor on Paper
    11 3/4" x 10" (29.8cm x 29.4cm)

    About this work

    This small watercolor study of rock outcroppings in Qingdao is limited in color, yet the contrasting foreground, middle ground and background give it not only perspective, but visual interest. It resembles Wu Guanzhong’s early watercolor studies from the 1950’s and it’s size, 11 3/4″ x 10″, indicates that it may have been a field study.

Wu Dayu

Wu Dayu
(
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)
  • “Remex” C. 1979
    Crayon on Paper
    7 5/8" x 4 3/4" (19.36cm x 12.07cm)

    About this work

    Wu Dayu believed that crayon on paper highlights the rendering of detail, overlapping processing and compounding contrast, suggesting that the more sensitive categories of this medium are versatility, power and speed. This splendid new medium is not all like a reproduction of pastels, oils, watercolors, or plain paints, but has its own unique points. The plain wax paint also has its own independent brilliance, and the calligraphic art of charm is the main foundation of its breakdown.

  • “Mood”, C. 1979
    Crayon on Paper
    7 5/8" x 4 3/4" (19.36cm x 12.07cm)

    About this work

    Wu Dayu believed that crayon on paper highlights the rendering of detail, overlapping processing and compounding contrast, suggesting that the more sensitive categories of this medium are versatility, power and speed. This splendid new medium is not all like a reproduction of pastels, oils, watercolors, or plain paints, but has its own unique points. The plain wax paint also has its own independent brilliance, and the calligraphic art of charm is the main foundation of its breakdown.

  • Peking Opera, C. 1970's
    Oil on Canvas
    22" X 16" (55.9cm x 40.6cm)

    About this work

    Wu Dayu studied in Paris and said often that he was influenced by the Impressionists; however, his own work is clearly abstract. Both critics and fellow artists believe that Wu Dayu’s painting was uniquely Chinese modernist and, as one of the first generation of Chinese oil painters, he created a style all his own, blending techniques he learned in the West with a Chinese sensibility and sensitivity. Wu Dayu often used scenes from Chinese operas as his subjects. In “Peking Opera” he has managed to capture not only the movement of the performer, but the detail of the costuming. Everything blends in rhythmic motion; even the colors of blue and yellow combine to become subtle shades of green.

  • Rhythm of Chinese Opera, C. 1970's
    Oil on Canvas
    15" x 20" (38.1cm x 50.8cm)

    About this work

    Wu Dayu’s abstracted paintings of Chinese operas are full of swirling colors yet the figures of the performers are always evident. It was the artist’s attempt to show the viewer the movement of the performer. However, in this particular painting, the figure, seen in the very center of the canvas, is isolated from the background as if it is the stage itself that is moving.

  • The Reflection of the Figure Through the Mirror
    Oil on Board
    17 1/2" x 13" (44.5cm x 33cm)

    About this work

    Having studied in Paris in the 1920’s, Wu Dayu would undoubtedly have seen Picasso’s cubist studies like “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” that referenced African art by replacing heads with carved masks. Some viewers might even see aspects of Cubism in Wu Dayu’s paintings. Clearly, in Wu Dayu’s “The Reflection of the Figure Through the Mirror” we can see a central figure with a head that resembles a mask. Because we can also find examples of carved masks in Chinese folk art, it is possible Wu Dayu referenced his own culture’s art in a similar fashion. The beauty of abstraction is that it leaves a lot to the viewer’s imagination; is the central figure in this painting formed of the mask itself, or is the mask the reflection in the mirror? The color scheme of this painting is unique to Wu Dayu’s art utilizing blues and greens and light touches of yellow that blend to create depth and perspective, tonality and texture.

Wei Rong

Wei Rong
(
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)
  • Wind and Moon, 1997
    Oil on Canvas
    56" x 60" (142.2cm x 152.4cm)

    About this work

    Wei Rong’s unique style of painting has developed due to what she describes as her need to link the past with the present. For her works, she researches 19th century photographs of both known and unknown Chinese subjects; sometimes her paintings include portraits of scholars, writers and artists and sometimes, the people in her paintings are anonymous. Often she combines the figures with different backgrounds; however, she always places a modern figure in the paintings. The modern figure is always in color, contrasted with the realistic black and white imagery of the old photographs she references. Her style has been called ‘hyper-realistic’, but Wei Rong says she is only painting what she sees in the photographs and wants the viewer to connect the historical feeling of the pictures with the modern day subjects.

  • In Memory of the Drowning Men of Letters, 2000
    Pencil on Paper
    13 1/2" x 17 1/2" (34.3cm x 44.5cm)

    About this work

    Wei Rong often finds 19th century photographic prints illustrating well known subjects in Chinese literature. The individuals in this drawing were all recognized writers and philosophers who drowned themselves in a protest action. It is Wei Rong’s practice to make detailed, scaled down drawings like this one for works she will later turn into paintings. Typically her drawings are in pencil, but sometimes she adds watercolor to the modern figures she places in the historical scenes.

  • Enjoying Opera, 2003
    Pencil on Paper
    22" x 16 1/8" (55.9cm x 33.3cm)

    About this work

    Many of Wei Rong’s interpretations of ancient Chinese scenes combine historically recognizable figures with a modern subject — like in this study of the infamous imperial concubine Cixi seated next to an anonymous young girl who is playing the guitar. The girl is dressed in fashionable clothes, contrasted with Cixi’s regal costume. Typically the statement Wei Rong makes is very simple and the interpretation is left to the viewer. It is certainly not sarcastic or political. She says she is only linking the past and present in subtle ways and that she has no message to impart.

  • The Studio #1, 2001
    Oil on Canvas
    56" x 68" (142.2cm x 172.7cm)

    About this work

    Wei Rong produced a series of paintings dealing with the setting of Chinese artists and scholars at leisure in their studios, often drinking and smoking. In all of these, she placed a nude female figure in the center of a group of men. In some of the paintings, she includes an image of Mao Zedong in the background that is often associated with Cultural Revolution paintings. By virtue of the fact that the nude female is in color, and typically all of the artist’s ‘modern day’ subjects are in color, we are expected to believe that the girl is the link to the present. The figure of Mao makes this work a multi-generational interpretation.

  • Little Opera, 1997
    Oil on Canvas
    56" x 64" (142.2cm x 162.5cm)

    About this work

    This beautiful portrait study is typical of studio pictures produced in 19th century China. The opera troupe is posing with their instruments and in full costume, against a backdrop of an image of Mao Zedong. Wei Rong has placed in the picture two modern day young women, each holding an instrument as if they were a part of the performing troupe. The woman to the far left is dressed in very modern clothing, yet she is wearing a Red Army soldier’s cap. The woman seated and playing an accordian is dressed in a full Red Army uniform, but her shoes are quite contemporary. The artist does not choose to comment about why she uses such anachronisms, so the viewer is left to his own interpretation.

  • A Lady of The Late Qing, 1995
    Oil on Canvas
    46" x 32" (116.8cm x 81.3cm)

    About this work

    Wei Rong uses all periods of pictures, both photographic and painted, in research for her art. In this simple painting, she has interpreted what a worn and damaged color postcard might look like if it were enlarged to 46″ x 32″.

Wang Zhenghua

Wang Zhenghua
(
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)
  • Seaside, 1984
    Oil on Canvas
    16" x 22" (40.6cm x 55.9)

    About this work

    This simple subject is made more interesting by the use of a pointillistic technique used by Wang Zenghua. Originally developed by the neo-Impressionist painter Seurat, the technique uses tiny dots of pure color which become blended in the viewer’s eye, with the aim of producing greater luminosity.

Wang Yidong

Wang Yidong
(
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)
  • South China Woman, 1988
    Oil on Canvas
    24" x 20" (60.9cm x 50.8cm)

    About this work

    Wang Yidong says of his painting, “South China Woman,” that he was attempting to combine an ancient Chinese style called Fantasy, which is very precise, with the early style of Renaissance painting. Of the model for this work, he says that he was traveling in Southern China with a few of his students and wanted to do a demonstration when he found this subject. He has selectively placed her in front of a well-known Chinese mural which serves as a monochromatic backdrop, in contrast to the bright colors of her clothing. This simple portrait becomes a classically beautiful study, no matter what culture it represents.

  • Portrait of Young Man, 1986
    Oil on Board
    24" x 19" (60.9cm x 48.3cm)

    About this work

    Wang Yidong acknowledges that he has been inspired by the lighting in paintings by Rembrandt and that when he came across this young man in a small country village he somehow felt that his face would be good for a classical study like Rembrandt’s.

  • Profile of Old Man (Uncle Liu), 1986
    Oil on Board
    23" x 18" (58.4cm x 45.7cm)

    About this work

    This portrait was made at the same time as “Profile of A Young Man” because the subject was found in the same small village as the younger man. Wang Yidong acknowledges that he has been inspired by the lighting in paintings by Rembrandt and that when he came across the subjects, he somehow felt that their faces would be good for such classical studies. The hard light scuplts the figure set against an almost black background.

Wang Huaiqing

Wang Huaiqing
(
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)
  • Bo Le, A Man Who Knew Horses, 1980
    Oil on Canvas
    67" x 81" (170cm x 205.7cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing has said that he created this painting as a graduation exercise at the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Beijing. His assignment was to interpret a historical story. He chose one about Bo Le, who worked for a Chinese emperor. Bo Le was blind, but he was able to place his hands on a horse who might be ill or starved and determine if the horse had a good spirit and was worth keeping. The story of Bo Le is related in ancient Chinese calligraphy at the top of the painting. Wang Huaiqing’s composition is highly stylized and graphic, forcing the viewer to concentrate on the subject. The painting’s size makes it powerful.

  • Artist's Mother, 1982
    Oil on Canvas
    51" x 26" (129.5cm x 66cm)

    About this work

    “Artist’s Mother” was made as a tribute to Wang’s neighbor, Zhou Huaiming, who was a well-known ink and brush painter. Zhou’s mother was 90 years old when this portrait was made. Wang Huaiqing says the message of the painting is very Oriental and the perspective like that of traditional Chinese painting where you can see a subject from different levels and planes at the same time.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Charcoal on Paper
    10 3/4" x 15" (27.3cm x 38cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing studied under Wu Guanzhong, who said about working with figure drawing, “The shape of the human body has to be represented in rigid forms. Stringent forms do not necessarily mean the accuracy of objective likeness; what is achieved at random and spontaneously is never the same as the lyricism of the imagery.” Wang Huaiqing’s nudes exhibit a certain angularity, as opposed to the fullness of shape of his teacher’s, which may have more to do with the selection of model, yet Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies are equally lyrical and expressive. The addition of the model’s shoes seen on the floor beneath where she lies is a subtle touch that somehow makes the drawing more personal.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Charcoal on Paper
    10" x 14 1/2" (25.4cm x 36.83cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing studied under Wu Guanzhong who said about working with figure drawing, “The shape of the human body has to be represented in rigid forms. Stringent forms do not necessarily mean the accuracy of objective likeness; what is achieved at random and spontaneously is never the same as the lyricism of the imagery.” Wang Huaiqing’s nudes exhibit a certain angularity, as opposed to the fullness of shape of his teacher’s, which may have more to do with the selection of model, yet Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies are equally lyrical and expressive.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Ink on Paper
    15 1/8" x 10" (38.3cm x 25.4cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies in ink are straightforward, concentrating on the form of the figure. They utilize line to represent mass; there is no shading or hint of tonality. Of particular interest in this study is the way in which the artist has instructed the model to cross her hands behind her back, but around her arms, creating symmetrical detail in the picture.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Ink on Paper
    9 3/4" x 9 3/4" (24.7cm x 24.7cm)

    About this work

    In this beautifully composed drawing, the perspective on the figure is from high above, looking straight down. It is comprised of very few broken lines in a sensual, flowing form. It is a classic figure study.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Pencil on Paper
    14 1/4" x 10 1/2" (36.19cm x 26.67cm)

    About this work

    In this drawing, Wang Huaiqing has used simple lines accentuating the fullness of the model’s figure. Interestingly he has added many lines to the bottom of the chair in which she sits, giving it the form needed to anchor it in the picture.

  • Untitled Drawing, 1985
    Pencil on Paper
    15" x 10 1/2" (38.1cm x 26.67cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing has filled the space he has used for his drawing with the model and the chair in which she sits. This is always an interesting device that implies a closeness and intimacy with the subject. The lines he uses for the model are simple and spare, accentuating the fullness of the figure, yet he has used enough lines to give the chair form.

  • Old Ferry on the Yellow River, 1987
    Oil on Canvas
    30" x 40" (76.2cm x 101.6cm)

    About this work

    Representative of Wang Huaiqing’s early realist painting style, “Old Ferry on the Yellow River” is a beautifully monochromatic work that interprets perfectly the quality of light in late afternoon on the Yellow River. The clothing of the lone figure anchoring his boat provides the only contrast in the scene. The composition is wonderfully sparse emphasizing the sandbar, just as the viewer would see it.

  • Unassembled, 1994
    Oil on Canvas
    51" x 57" (129.5cm x 144.8cm)

    About this work

    Wang Huaiqing has perhaps become best known for his ongoing series of paintings of classic Chinese architecture and furniture. As representative of this series as any, the painting “Unassembled” illustrates a Ming chair from a different point of view, as if it had been exploded so that the viewer could see all of its pieces. Wang Huaiqing says that normally he uses blacks and whites like the colors in traditional Chinese brush paintings, but in this particular piece he has added small squares of red and green for contrast and to draw the viewer’s eye.

  • Stage, 1995
    Oil on Canvas
    68" x 78" (172.7cm x 198.1cm)

    About this work

    While Wang Huaiqing’s paintings from his Chinese architecture and furniture series are obviously abstract and modern feeling, they draw upon certain aspects of traditional Chinese painting like the limited color palette, a multi-directional perspective and the use of cultural objects. In this example, a dining table has become the ‘stage’ on which sits a plate, a jug, a vase, and a tea pot, all from different dynasties.