Gao Jianfu, Complete Collection of Famous Chinese Painters

Author: Gao Jianfu (paintings)/Cai Xingyi (compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: The collection "Gao Jianfu" features over 150 representative paintings by Gao Jianfu, providing detailed introductions to his life and artistic career. It also includes some of Gao's own essays on art, a chronology of his life, and reviews of his works by various critics, comprehensively showcasing his artistic charm and personal demeanor.
Gao Jianfu (1879–1951), originally named Lin, later changed his name to Lun, styled Jue ting, and used the pseudonym Gao Jianfu, was from Panyu, Guangdong. In his early years, he studied under Ju Lian. In 1906, he studied in Japan, and upon returning in 1908, he led the Guangdong Alliance Society and served as the commander-in-chief of the alliance forces during the Guangzhou Uprising. After the Xinhai Revolution, he dedicated himself to art education for many years, founding the Chunshui Art Academy and the Southern China-American Art College. He served as the principal of Guangdong Provincial Industrial School, Guangzhou Municipal Art College, and Southern China-American Art College, and held professorships at Sun Yat-sen University and Central University. He was also the president of the Guangdong Art Association. In 1949, he moved to Macau.
Gao Jianfu was one of the founders of the Lingnan School of Painting. He boldly blended traditional Chinese techniques with Western painting methods, advocating the absorption of artistic strengths from ancient and modern China and the West to reform traditional Chinese painting, guiding it toward modernization, nationalization, and popularization while enhancing its aesthetic and educational impact. The Lingnan School of Painting, with its compromise between Eastern and Western styles and its integration of ancient and modern influences, aimed ultimately to "transform the national spirit" through the cultivation of artistic beauty.
This book features over 150 representative paintings by Gao Jianfu, along with detailed introductions to his life and artistic career. It also includes some of Gao's own essays on art, a chronology of his life, and reviews of his works by various critics, comprehensively showcasing his artistic charm and personal demeanor.