River Landscape with Boats

Inscribed:
Zhaoling in London

Small, simple sailing craft with solo oarsmen in large straw hats still ply many rivers in southern China. Fang Zhaoling was clearly recalling such a scene when she created this work during an extended stay in London. The background cliffs may represent the famous Three Gorges on the Yangzi River. The simple vertical blocks making up the mountains were created with a quickly moving brush and dark ink. Such forms appear in many of the artist's later landscapes.