Solitary Hermitage

Maker(s)
Artist: Huang Binhong (1865-1955)
Historical period(s)
Modern period, 1930-1935
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 55.7 x 37.1 cm (21 15/16 x 14 5/8 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.234
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
China, landscape, Modern period (1912 - present)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

A major, innovative painter, Huang Binhong had his artistic grounding in the literati tradition that privileges expressive brushwork and allusions to past masters' styles over descriptions of the physical world. But by mid-career, the likely date for Solitary Hermitage, he had begun to advocate greater spontaneity and naturalism in art and often incorporated sketches of real scenery into his paintings. Nonetheless, there was always a certain degree of abstraction to his work and Huang described his paintings as creating "resemblance out of non-resemblance." He was admired for his energetic brushwork and the way he layered inky strokes and washes to give a landscape a tactile quality.

Published References
  • Thomas Lawton, Joseph Chang, Stephen Allee. Brushing the Past: Later Chinese Calligraphy from the Gift of Robert Haftield Ellsworth. Exh. cat. Washington. p. 125.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
Google Cultural Institute
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