Lu Yanshao
Chinese, 1909 - 1993
Person TypeIndividual
BiographyNative of Jiading County, Jiangsu, Lu Yanshao is admired for the rhythmic quality of his dense, dramatic landscape composition. He utilizes the technique of swirling "hook clouds." together with contrasting white spaces and saturated ink patches to create a sense of animation and movement. His brushwork is strong and vigorous due to his solid training in calligraphy. Lu began painting at an early age. When he was fourteen Lu went to Shanghai to attend high school where he was exposed to the arts of calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. At age seventeen Lu entered Wuxi Art College to major in Chinese painting. Disappointed with the level of instruction there, he soon left and returned home. There he studied poetry, calligraphy, and painting with the former Qing Hanlin scholar Wang Tongyu (1864-1941) who imparted upon Lu a deep appreciation and understanding for classical literature. Later, Lu received instructions from the famous Shanghai painter Feng Chaoran (1882-1954) under whom Lu copied a large number of Ming and Qing masterpieces, especially the works of the Four Wangs. In 1934 he made a pilgrimage through the famous mountains and scenic areas of China which included Huangshan, Mount Tai, and the Yungang Caves. The same year, he purchased land in Wukang, Zhejiang, with the intention of sustaining his family through farming and not through the sale of his art. There are two events which significantly influenced his art. The first was the Nanjing exhibition of important works from imperial and private collections. He spent over a week studying the Song and Yuan masterpieces. The next was his return from Sichuan where he and his family stayed during the Japanese invasion. By then his family had grown from six to nine. Unable to affor passage on a regular ferry, Lu sailed down the the Yangzi River on a raft, a dangerous but spectacular journey. This adventure drastically changed his style of painting. He has taught in the Shanghai Painting Academy, Zhejiang Art Academy, and was appointed Dean of the Zhejiang Painting Academy in 1984. Lu has exhibited extensively throughout the Far East. There are many publications of his paintings and his theories on painting.