Zhao Wenyuan - Paintings of Contemporary Masters of China

Author: Jia Dejiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The renowned Nanjing painter Zhao Wenyuan's paintings of horses have captured the attention of the Chinese art world, earning him the title "The Chariot of China." With a masterful touch, his horses embody the spirit of "bamboo-pierced ears and swift hooves in the wind," showcasing a majestic and spirited essence. Zhao Wenyuan is currently a member of the China Artists Association, a council member of the China Industrial Painting Research Society, vice chairman of the Jiangsu Artists Association, and deputy director of the Art Creation Studio under the Political Department of the Nanjing Military Region. He is a first-class national artist. In his works, the horses either stand alone or interact with figures, all exuding fresh energy and visual dynamism. His paintings such as Brave and Loyal Souls and Snow Dragon Festival have been frequently selected for national art exhibitions and have won awards. Snow Dragon Festival depicts Tibetan people riding and leading horses to the festival site on an autumn grassland. Several galloping horses, modeled after Tang-style characteristics, feature reduced heads and hooves while exaggerating the strength of their limbs, creating a powerful yet approachable image. The technique combines elements of Western painting with traditional Chinese meticulous ink and color, emphasizing the color palette, texture, and spatial depth of the scene. The objects rendered possess both the strength and volume of lines and the richness of color and light. The figures vividly reflect the bold, resilient, cheerful, and religious traits of the Tibetans.
The frequent creation of military-themed works has forged an unbreakable bond between Zhao Wenyuan and military horses, shaping his artistic approach to painting them. He is acutely aware that humans and horses have formed a special relationship through long-term evolution. In daily life, horses are friends and companions to humans, while on the battlefield, they are the confidants and brothers of warriors. To paint a horse well, one must imbue it with human emotions. He has studied the works of masters of horse painting and related art pieces, drawing inspiration from the imposing and dignified formations of the Qin Terracotta Army, the bold and unrestrained figures in Han stone reliefs, and the refined and magnificent galloping horses in Tang Sancai. He often engages in dialogues with Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasty masters of horse painting, as well as with modern masters. He frequently visits military horse stables to sketch, take photos, and observe anatomical dissections, thoroughly familiarizing himself with the forms and structures of horses. He has also traveled to the southwestern frontier regions, such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, to sketch, capturing the spirited galloping horses, herds, and wild horses on paper. His deep understanding of horse culture, combined with his infusion of the qualities of soldiers into his brushwork, has gradually shaped his unique style of horse painting.
His meticulous ink and color horse paintings draw on the strengths of predecessors, incorporating certain external features of Han stone reliefs and Tang Sancai horses. The heads of his horses are slightly reduced, exuding an uplifting and vigorous spirit. Meanwhile, he emphasizes the volume of the horses' hindquarters and exaggerates their dynamic movements, giving them a majestic and imposing posture. With elastic, textured, and shaded ink lines, he meticulously renders the horses' lips, teeth, hooves, joints, shoulders, and tails. Heavy colors and brushwork lend the horses a powerful and noble aura. His Continuation of the Lady of Guo's Spring Outing (see illustration) is a reinterpretation of Zhang Xuan's Tang dynasty masterpiece The Lady of Guo's Spring Outing. Zhang Xuan's painting depicts the Lady of Guo and her attendants riding horses during spring outings, with both humans and horses portrayed with lifelike expressions, a timeless classic. When Zhao Wenyuan took up the brush to continue this masterpiece, he was filled with the spirit of striving, abandoning the figures to focus solely on the horses. In the painting, the Lady of Guo and her attendants have left, leaving behind eight spirited and noble horses. Their highly elastic lines and elegant colors make them leap off the canvas, vivid and lifelike. The combination of golden armor, silver saddles, brocade harnesses, and colorful ribbons fully embodies imperial wealth and auspiciousness. Tang · Ferghana Blood Horse belongs to the same style, representing the culmination of Zhao Wenyuan's research, inheritance, and development of traditional horse painting.
Zhao Wenyuan's freehand horse paintings retain the imagery of his meticulous ink and color works but employ calligraphic-style lines with varying densities, dryness, and wetness to shape the forms. The lines are precise and rhythmic, while the bodies of the horses are rendered with light ink or color washes. The manes and tails are executed with unrestrained, cursive brushwork. These freehand horses exhibit a strong sense of structure, bold yet refined brushwork, a balance between light and dark, and a simplified yet expressive form. The are vigorous and full of vitality. He paints spirited horses with noble heads, muscular bodies, fierce physiques, strong joints, powerful hooves, majestic poses, and noble aura, fully embodying the heroic spirit of "horses of rare quality, capable of galloping across thousands of miles." His style differs from both classical horse paintings and the works of contemporary masters, showcasing his unique personality.
"As people should not have arrogance but must have dignity, painting reflects character. The horses in paintings should not have servility or coquettishness." More than just the artist's perception of his horses, these words reveal Zhao Wenyuan's spiritual pursuit and aesthetic philosophy. They show us that Zhao Wenyuan, as an artist, is committed to innovating horse painting while continuing to research its inheritance, deconstruction, and reconstruction.