Wang Shengyuan Landscape Album: Masterpieces from Renowned Artists

Author: Wang Shengyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: Wang Shengyuan (1889-1969), also known as Feng, was a native of She County, Anhui Province. During the 1930s and 1940s, he taught at the Shanghai Xinhua Art College and the Shanghai Art College, serving as the head of the Chinese Painting Department at both institutions. He was my first teacher. Pan Yun, Yu Xining, Guan Chufei, Cheng Shifan, and others were also his students at different times. They all adhered to the principle of "following the times while never forgetting brushwork and ink."
Wang Shengyuan initially studied landscape painting under Yao Shuping, later associating with his fellow native Huang Binhong. His brushwork centered on the middle-stroke technique, while Huang Binhong advocated the "Five Brushes and Seven Inks" theory. Both philosophies converged in the concept of "boneless brushwork." For over half a century, they echoed each other in both sunshine and rain, resisting the decline of the art world.
Wang Shengyuan was a man of high moral character and a gentle nature. He spent his life immersed in the mists and clouds, cultivating his green mountains and clear waters. Despite his frugal lifestyle, he never considered it a hardship. A five-line poem reflects his heart:
"Worldly affairs are all,
Painting realms are pure lands,
Breaking through endless kalpas,
Preserving my spiritual realm."
As an experienced painter, he stood firm in his principles, roamed freely in the realm of brush and ink, and exuded a dignified and radiant spirit, shining brilliantly throughout his artistic career.