Autumn Landscape From The Four Seasons 1950

Fu Baoshi created this ink-and-color painting, "Autumn Landscape From The Four Seasons," sometime before his death in 1965. Here, traditional landscape painting is combined with the literati tradition. Note the figures in the landscape, a typical trope of traditional paintings referencing an elite, leisure class. Fu was a prominent figure in the development of modern Chinese painting and served as the vice-chairman of the Jiangsu branch of the Chinese Artists Association. Fu Baoshi had been trained in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, later studying in Japan. Upon his return to China, he sought to infuse traditional techniques with a more modern sensibility, but his work was still informed by his connections to the cultural institutions of his time. Examining the archives of the Chinese Artists Association would provide even greater insight into Fu Baoshi's influences and associations. Understanding these elements helps us better understand how culture shapes art, and art shapes culture.