Guan Song Fang Painting Collection

Author: Guan Songfang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Guan Songfang, born in 1901 and passed away in 1982, was a native of Beijing. His courtesy names were Yayun and Zige, and his art name was Songfang. His pseudonyms included Xizhai and Xian'an, also known as Xian'an Master. He began studying painting in 1915, copying famous paintings from the Palace Museum, the Ancient Objects Exhibition Hall, and private collections. In 1925, his blue-and-green landscape painting won a silver medal at the Belgian International Exposition. That same year, he co-founded the "Songfeng Painting Society" with Pu Xuezhai and Pu Xinyu. In 1946, he worked as an office clerk at the Palace Museum. In 1948, he held a solo exhibition at Zhongshan Park. In 1952, he joined the Beijing Chinese Painting Research Association and participated in the Anti-American War Fundraising Art Sale and the National Art Exhibition. In 1953, he became a council member of the Chinese Calligraphy Research Association. In 1956, he joined the Chinese Artists Association. In 1958, he became a painter at the Beijing Art Institute and served as the vice president of the Chinese Landscape Painting Research Association. He was skilled in appraising ancient paintings and ceramics and wrote "A Study of Qing Dynasty Tombs." Guan Songfang emphasized the mastery of artistic principles. His landscape paintings traced their roots and drew from various traditions, demonstrating profound traditional craftsmanship. After joining the art institute, he traveled to famous mountains and rivers, combining copying ancient works with field sketches for creative expression. His works featured vigorous brushwork and grand compositions, developing the ancient technique of ink absorption and forming a style that was thick, robust, and dynamic. Representative works include "The Thirteen Reservoir" and "Autumn View of the Great Wall." This book collects over a hundred works, some of which are copies by the elder Guan when he was young, most are field sketches created after the liberation, and many have never been exhibited before.