Autumn Hills

Delicate texture strokes of ink, as well as applications of pink, brown, and gray, create a monumental landscape in a large horizontal format. The palette suggests autumn, and the brushstrokes suggest rock surfaces eroded into pinnacles and boulders. Hong Xian used traditional Chinese brushwork in a composition that recalls Western format and picture space. Though not without precedent in Chinese art, the large horizontal format and the vantage point offering a panoramic view most likely have their sources in Western painting. Hong Xian left China for Taiwan in 1948, and there had the remarkable opportunity to study traditional Chinese painting with Pu Ru (1896–1963), the former Manchu prince, whose work preserved the noble court painting traditions of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). She also studied art at National Taiwan Normal University. In 1958 she came to the U.S., where she studied Western art at Northwestern University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She thus had training at the highest levels in both traditions.