Chen Huiguan's newly drawn complete Journey to the West

Author: Chen Huiguan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: The Complete New Illustrated Journey to the West by Chen Huiguan: Three hundred years before Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West was published, Xuanzang (Tang Monk) and the monkey-shaped figure (Sun Wukong) leading his horse appeared in Dunhuang murals. This shows that the story of the pilgrimage had long been circulating in folklore, with people mentally shaping the images of Tang Monk and his disciples. After Journey to the West gained popularity, stage and even film adaptations further developed the images of Tang Monk and his disciples. Mr. Huiguan, while staying true to the original novel, referenced the artistic depictions of Tang Monk and his disciples by predecessors and focused on portraying their individual characteristics, achieving a harmonious balance between their "form" and "spirit," making them more vivid and engaging. As for the numerous gods, demons, and monsters, he shaped them based on his own understanding and imagination, bringing them to life. It can be said that the characters in his Journey to the West are not only readily accepted by readers but also fully reflect the unique artistic style of Chen's painting. The 200 ink and color paintings in this Journey to the West art collection guide readers on a journey through the magnificent and magical heavens and earth. Amidst the enigmatic and ever-changing atmosphere, they experience the beauty of dynamism from beginning to end. Not only do all the characters exude vitality, but the ever-changing landscapes of mountains, rivers, clouds, and rocks—whether strange, eerie, serene, secluded, perilous, or ominous—are all full of life and captivating. The art collection includes a humorous and vivid outline of the Journey to the West story written by Mr. Cang Yangqing, which effectively captures the essence of the original literary work. The Complete New Illustrated Journey to the West is an immortal classic of Chinese classical fiction, rich in broad and profound social, historical, and cultural significance, as well as awe-inspiring artistic charm. The artistic language of Chinese painting, which emphasizes both form and spirit, is particularly suited to showcasing the subtlety, elegance, and poetic beauty of this work. Therefore, this Complete New Illustrated Journey to the West is a large-scale art collection created by renowned Chinese painter Chen Huiguan based on the literary original. Considering that the novel has been published for a long time and there are numerous printed versions, the artist's reference version may differ from the one readers are familiar with. Thus, an outline of the literary original, based on the commonly used version, is included after each volume in this series to facilitate the appreciation of the paintings.