Rongbaozhai Painting Spectrum (19) - Qian Songyan's Landscape Section

Author: Qian Songyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-25
Features: Qian Songyan (1899-1985) was a native of Yangxiang Town, Yixing. He was a renowned Chinese painter and the Honorary President of the Jiangsu National Painting Academy. His childhood name was Songya, as "song" symbolizes longevity and good fortune, and "ya" was homonymous with "yan," so he was renamed "Songyan." His literary name was Luzhuren. Born into a poor family with generations of teachers, he had a deep love for learning from a young age, often reading, practicing painting, and writing essays late into the night by candlelight. His father was a Qing Dynasty scholar who excelled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and made a living as a teacher. At the age of eight, Qian Songyan studied at a private academy with his father, learning painting, calligraphy, and seal carving. In 1918, he attended the Jiangsu Provincial Third Normal School, where the teacher Hu Tinglu was renowned for his expertise in poetry, ci, calligraphy, and painting across the Jiangnan region. Qian Songyan studied painting under Hu and steadily improved his skills. He immersed himself in the works of famous painters from past generations, made friends with many calligraphers and painters, and meticulously copied masterpieces. He spent three years copying a genuine work by Shi Xi and later emulated the styles of Tang Yin and Shi Tao, absorbing the strengths of schools from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, thereby laying a solid foundation for his traditional painting. Later, he integrated and developed his own unique style. Even during his student years, he was already celebrated for his talent. He once created "Guanhua Pavilion," which gained recognition from the famous painter Wu Guandai.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Qian Songyan worked diligently and devoted himself to the study of Chinese painting. In 1950, he was elected as the Chairman of the Wuxi Municipal Federation of Literature and Arts. In 1954, he was elected as a member of the Wuxi Municipal People's Congress and a member of the Municipal People's Committee. In 1957, he moved from Wuxi Normal School to the Jiangsu National Painting Academy as a painter and settled in Nanjing. From then on, his artistic career entered a new phase of development. With deep love for socialist China and boundless gratitude to the Party, he immersed himself in life, traveling across the vast landscapes of the Yangtze River and Yellow River regions, as well as the Great Wall, using his brush to passionately depict the magnificent scenery, revolutionary landmarks, and the achievements of socialist construction. He made significant contributions to the inheritance and promotion of Chinese art, as well as the innovation of traditional painting.
Starting in 1972, he created a large-scale national painting titled "Great Wall" for the Chinese mission building at the United Nations headquarters. In 1973, he produced "Spring Over Stone City" and "Pine at the Top of Mount Tai." In 1974, he painted a large landscape for the Canton Fair Trade Hall. In 1975, he was elected as a member of the Fourth National People's Congress and, inspired, created "New Nanjing" and inscribed two poems. During the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, a large-scale solo exhibition of his works was held. During the "Cultural Revolution," he suffered injuries to his fingers, making it difficult to hold a brush, so he occasionally created finger paintings, which had a unique charm.
Qian Songyan served as a member of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth National People's Congresses, a Standing Committee member of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, a member of the Chinese Federation of Literature and Arts, a Standing Committee member of the Chinese Artists Association, and an Art Advisor. He later became the Honorary President of the Jiangsu Artists Association and the President of the Jiangsu National Painting Academy. In 1983, at the age of 85, he joined the Communist Party of China, fulfilling a lifelong aspiration. What moved many was that after undergoing major surgery in 1984, he still persisted in creating, truly embodying the spirit of "artistic creation without rest."
Before his passing, he wrote to the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, donating over 100 of his artistic treasures to the people of Wuxi. In his old home in Qiaoxiang, Wuxi, the "Qian Songyan Art Museum" was established in his honor.