Celebrating visual power of Baoshi

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

The Xuanwu Lake in the Moonlight represents Fu's early efforts to modernize inking techniques. The work resulted from his sketching travels in the 1950s, covering areas neighboring Nanjing, Jiangsu province, where he resided for a couple of years and where scenery recurred as his favorite subject matter.

In this painting he lessened the usage of "cun" or "wrinkle" strokes and dabs, adopting instead watercolor techniques to create the forms. The result is a refreshing and moist texture that reflects the tranquility on the lake at night.

He was further inspired to reform traditional rules during a visit to the communist countries in eastern Europe, in 1957. He explored with a bold composition in the paintings from this trip, and Prague Palace is a refined example. He treated the trees at the forefront with simple, casual brush strokes, while the distant Gothic castle is lavishly and carefully depicted.

He was so taken by the architecture of grandeur that he did two sketchings of Prague Palace. During the trip he also enriched his perspectives of observing nature and his creative approaches to traditional landscapes. He became a pioneer in portraying foreign scenery by taking the advantages of Chinese painting materials.

People are most familiar with Such Is the Beauty of Our Rivers and Mountains, a panoramic landscape Fu completed with painter Guan Shanyue for the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.