Liu Zijiu Paintings Collection

Author: Liu Zijiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: Liu Zijiu (1891—1975), styled Guangcheng, known as Yinhu, was a native of Tianjin. In 1920, he graduated from the Advanced Class of the Beijing Military Surveying School and then joined the Beijing Chinese Painting Research Society. Under the guidance of Jin Cheng, Liu Zijiu systematically copied many famous works by masters from the Ming and Qing dynasties, laying a solid foundation in the traditional techniques of landscape and flower-and-bird painting. After completing his studies, he became a teacher at the Chinese Painting Research Society and began his artistic career of selling paintings and teaching apprentices. In 1926, when Jin Cheng passed away, Liu Zijiu found it increasingly difficult to advance in the Beijing art scene. Therefore, in 1931, he returned to his hometown Tianjin. There, he worked at the Tianjin Art Museum and the Tianjin Museum, and founded the Tianjin Chinese Painting Research Society, being elected as its director. In 1956, he served as the vice president of the Tianjin Artists Association, and in 1960, he was elected as a council member of the Chinese Artists Association. While engaged in landscape painting creation, Liu Zijiu was also dedicated to Chinese painting education and art design. Prominent modern painters such as Wang Songyu, Sun Kegang, and Liu Jiyong were among his outstanding students. Liu Zijiu's Chinese painting works are characterized by rigorous composition, vigorous brushwork, and subdued colors. His brushwork is strong and steady, drawing inspiration from masters such as Guo Xi, Li Tang, Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Dai Jin. The rocks and trees he painted are lush and ancient, influenced by masters like Sheng Mao, Wang Shuming, and Wang Shigu. In terms of ink techniques, Liu Zijiu combined layered ink, broken ink, and splashed ink, achieving a harmonious balance between thick, thin, dry, and wet tones, integrating the Northern and Southern schools of painting. His flower-and-bird paintings vary in style—some belong to the heavy-color brush-and-ink tradition, some are in ink and light color, and some are entirely rendered in ink, blending both ancient traditions and his personal style. Overall, his painting style leans toward the "Northern School," emphasizing rigorous composition and vigorous brushwork.