Beschreibung:

LI KERAN (1907-1989)
Jinggang Mountain
LI KERAN (1907-1989) Jinggang Mountain Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper 136.8 x 68.5 cm. (53 7/8 x 27 in.) Entitled, inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist Dated 1977 NOTE: Li Keran’s experimentation on his Jinggang Mountain series began in the mid 70’s and culminated in his most fruitful period in the 80’s. When Li began painting this particular subject, he had never been to the area, thus, any execution was purely an imagined state and what it represented, rather than sketching from nature. Li’s creation of Jinggang Mountain in 1976, prior to visiting the mountains in person, was sold through our saleroom in Autumn 2013 (Lot 1379). This present piece, created in 1977, saw Li having travelled to Jinggang Mountain, the Lu Mountains and areas around Jiangxi to sketch and seek inspiration through nature, aptly expressing the juxtaposition of his previous imagined state together with sketching from nature. This current painting takes up the entirety of the paper, leaving minimal blank space, allowing the viewer to engross themselves in the magnificence of the mountains, contrasted with the diminutive stance of the soldiers, resulting in an impactful work through its execution, and momentous in its subject matter. On Li’s compositional style, Wu Guanzhong commented that, though Li fills his compositions with ink, the “fullness” and “richness” of it rarely come from an excess of painted elements, but in its enveloping the work with ink accumulation, such that the viewer becomes fully engrossed in the painting. Li focuses on layering his mountains repeatedly with azurite and malachite to create high and steeped peaks, without overlooking the importance in the articulation of light. From an early stage, Li recognised the conflict between traditional and modern artistic principles - this period saw his landscape works move from vigorous and unrestrained to one that was majestic, dignified and profound, a development of him as an artist, together with reflection of the current socio-political situation. While Li’s artistic license was somewhat restrained during this politically sensitive period, nevertheless, he created some of the most harmonious, quintessential landscapes, with Jinggang Mountain an iconic work in the artist’s compendium, as well as in Modern Chinese art history.