Springs and Rocks of the Yandang Mountains

This painting of the Yandang Mountains in southeastern China is an excellent example of Lu Yanshao’s distinctive landscape style. He often combines dark, wet ink washes and dry brush techniques with areas of trees and rocks done with sharp attention to detail. Here a rapidly flowing stream cuts through the major peaks, distinguishing foreground from background. The entire composition—cliffs, clouds, and water—pulsates with rhythm and energy.

A Shanghai native, Lu was an avid scholar of ancient paintings and diligently studied Song and Yuan masterpieces in his early career. During the 1960s, Lu’s art fully matured and he developed his own raw, forceful style in depicting majestic peaks and other subjects. Lu taught at the Shanghai Painting Academy and the Zhejiang Art Academy and was appointed dean of the latter in 1984.