Chinese Landscape Painting - Chinese Water Towns in The Style of Wu Guanzhong

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The document discusses several famous Chinese water towns located along canals and rivers in China. It also talks about the painter Wu Guanzhong and how he blended Chinese and Western artistic influences.

Some of the famous Chinese water towns mentioned include Zhouzhuang, Wuzhen, Tongli, Xitang, Zhujiajiao, Luzhi, and Nanxun.

The Yangtze River played an important part in China's historical, economic, and cultural development, especially of the State of Wu. It served as a key transportation route for goods and people.

Chinese Landscape Painting -

Chinese Water Towns


in the style of Wu Guanzhong
Chinese Landscape Painting -
Water Towns

Chinese Water Towns


Wu Guanzhong
Course Outline

The Basics
Calligraphy
Chinese Water Towns
Chinese Water Towns

These are ancient historic towns


situated south of the Yangtze
River and made famous by its
canals, old architecture and
bridges.
The Yangtze River

he Yangtze River played an important


part in the historical, economical and
cultural development of China with the
State of Wu.
The Yangtze River

The Yangtze River played an important


part in the historical, economical and
cultural development of China with the
State of Wu.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal linked the Yellow River
and the Yangtze River and was important
in the transportation of goods and people,
effectively unifying northern and southern
parts of the Middle Kingdom. It led to the
growth of commerical centres.

Smaller canals in and around commerical


towns provided links to the waterway
system especially around Suzhou.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal
Chinese Water Towns

The water towns are also known as


“The Venice of the East”
Chinese Water Towns

Zhouzhuang
Wuzhen
Tongli
Xitang
Zhujiajiao
Luzhi
Nanxun
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu

Zhouzhuang came into being during


the Spring and Autumn Period (770
BCE - 476 BCE) and contains many
historic buildings and structures.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu

Shuang qiao or Twin Bridges (Shide


Bridge and Yongnan Bridge) are the
most famous. They were built in the
MIng dynasty.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu

Chengxu Temple is a Daoist temple


built during the Song dynasty. It is
opposite the Puqing Bridge.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu

Fuan Bridge was built during the Yuan


dynasty, a single arch between two
towers.
Wuzhen, Zhejiang

Wuzhen is most famous for its ancient


stone bridges and stone pathways
Wuzhen, Zhejiang
Wuzhen, Zhejiang

Fanglu Pavilion Teahouse


Wuzhen, Zhejiang

Bridge within a Bridge is when the Tongji


Bridge crosses the river from east to west
and the Renji Bridge running from south to
north joins.
Tongli, Jiangsu

Tongli retains much of the ancient Wu


region town with old buildings and it's
canals.
Tongli, Jiangsu

Three Bridges of Taiping, Jili and


Changqing represent blessings.
People walk over them for luck during
weddings and births.
Tongli, Jiangsu

Pearl Tower Garden


Xitang, Zhejiang

Xitang is an ancient town that goes


back to the Spring and Autumn
Period when it was located at the
border of the State of Yue and Wu.

The town crisscrosses nine rivers and


contains numerous residences and
temples.
Xitang, Zhejiang
Xitang, Zhejiang
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai

Zhujiajiao was established about 1,700


years ago as an important trading hub for
the countryside. 36 stone bridges and
numerous rivers line this town.
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai

Fangshen Bridge is the longest and


tallest stone bridge with four life like
lion statues.
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai

Lang Bridge is a wooden bridge.


Zhujiajiao, Shanghai

Yuanjin Buddhist Temple was built


during the Yuan dynasty..
Luzhi, Jiangsu

Luzhi is famous for its waterways and


ancient bridges some dating back to
the Song dynasty.
Luzhi, Jiangsu
Nanxun, Zhejiang

Nanxun was established in the 13th century as a


commerical centre thanks to the silk industry and
the town developed from the waterways.
Nanxun, Zhejiang

Nanxun old town, “land of fish and rice”


and “silk market”.
Nanxun, Zhejiang

Nanxun old town


Wu Guanzhong
(1919 - 2010)
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong was one of the
greatest contemporary Chinese
painters who fused both Chinese
art with Western influences.

He painted various aspects of


China including landscapes in a
style like the impressionist
painters of the early 1900s.
Wu Guanzhong

He studied Chinese and Western


painting at the National Arts
Academy of Hangzhou under
Pan Tianshou and Lin Fengmian.
Lin Fengmian - Autumn in
Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong

He moved to Paris in 1947 to


study at the École Nationale
Supérieure des Beaux Arts.

He took a great liking to the


Post-Impressionists like van
Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne.
Wu Guanzhong

He returned to China in 1950.


Between 1954 and 1964 he
taught at Tsinghua Univesity,
Beijing and was able to make
trips around China, making
sketches of things and the
landscape.
Wu Guanzhong

He started to paint with oil and


watercolour in a western style,
but then reverted to paint in
the traditional Chinese way,
using ink and colour on paper.
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong

“ Through painting landscapes


I have grown to love my
motherland even more and
wish to be forever intoxicated
in her embrace.”
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong
The Yangzte River in 1974
Wu Guanzhong
Zhouzhuang
Wu Guanzhong
His works become more
abstract when using ink and
watercolour, using expressive
minimalist brush strokes to
convey the essence of form
and the splash of bright colour
harks back to the Post
Impressionsists.
Wu Guanzhong -
Wu Village
Wu Guanzhong -
Water village in Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong -
Water town in Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong -
Water town in Jiangnan
Chinese Water Towns
Course
Chinese Water Towns
Course Outline

Architectural features
Houses
Trees
Bridges
Boats
People
Pavilions and Temples
The Basics
The Four Treasures
Chinese Brushes
Goat hair

Weasel/wolf
hair
Chinese Ink

Ink Stick & Stone

Bottle
Moon Palace Paper
Other Treasures
Marie's Chinese Watercolours
Calligraphy
Calligraphy in Asia is a
“higher art form”
than painting because
it truly expresses the
individual spirit of the
artist.
All the brush
strokes in
Chinese
calligraphy are
used in Chinese
brush painting
Holding the Brush
Architectural Features
Autumn on the Wall
Autumn on the Wall
Twin Swallows

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