This is an autumn landscape depicting a study courtyard located in the middle of the landscape. The distant mountains are rendered with light ink and stone blue, the autumn water in the middle scene is light and traceless, and the corner of the mountain rock in the foreground is dyed with a thick and moist appearance. From the perspective of composition, the Pingyuan method and the far-reaching method are adopted, and the spatial hierarchy is unfolded in an orderly manner. Judging from the brush and ink, the combination of sketching and rendering depicts the mist of autumn in the south of the Yangtze River. The study in the painting sets off the theme of the work, allowing people to see the feelings of the literati in the landscape, giving the work an elegant charm.
Cai Jia's landscapes are reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty's Wumen painting style, and the combination of landscapes and gardens has a poetic beauty. The brushwork is delicate, the style is fresh, and the Jiangnan style is strong. Seeing the natural beauty revealed in the painting, people exclaimed, "What a good place to read." "Painting autumn landscapes can be cut from multiple angles. Cai Jia's choice of angle is not new, and even has a bit of a cliché flavor. However, in the use of color, he painted "heavenly and fresh", which is worth savoring carefully.
The use of color to express the style and elegance of autumn landscapes breaks the situation of ink painting style dominating the painting world. Cai Jia's ability to do this has something to do with his living environment. Cai Jia lived in the "prosperous Kangqian era" and moved to Yangzhou to settle in middle age. At the right time, the Yangzhou School of Painting was in the limelight, which influenced Cai Jia's brush and ink style. Although many famous artists of the Yangzhou School of Painting liked to paint flowers and birds to cater to the world in order to make a living, their artistic pursuit did not decrease in the slightest.
Painting works full of life, implementing the creative concept of applying color with the like, was used by Cai Jia in the creation of landscape painting. He used methods such as dyeing, rendering, and blending, combined with the changes in the distance and proximity of the space, which made people feel immersive. He introduced narrative and lyrical expressions into his landscape paintings, achieving both elegance and vulgar appreciation.
Through a few details, we can see how serious Cai Jia is in creation. Autumn landscapes, study landscapes, expressing the joy of secluded reading, there are countless such works. Few people pay as much attention to the logic of narrative as Cai Jia. It can be said that "The Secret Tree of the Autumn Garden" is like a prose, interlocking and scattered. The courtyard in the painting is located at the water's edge, and the courtyard is full of trees, and the rocks under the trees are covered with a layer of water vapor. The ground is covered with moss and weeds, which convinces the tranquility expressed in the painting. The crane bird paced leisurely, adding a touch of auspiciousness.
A good painter should not only "record" the beautiful scenery, but also tell the charm contained in the beautiful scenery. In "Autumn Garden Dense Tree", regional characteristics, seasonal characteristics, and cultural atmosphere are integrated, which subtly enhances the artistic conception of the work. Cai Jia's works seem to be ordinary, don't be "deceived" by the life scenes he depicts, the core of the work is the combination of poetry and painting, and the exploration of beauty in life.
"Autumn Garden Dense Tree" can be regarded as a work that depicts the cultural phenomenon of Jiangnan. From the picture, I can feel the humanistic scenery of Jiangnan and the character and spirit of the readers. The magnificent mountains and mountains are no longer people's only impression of landscape painting, and the works full of a sense of the times have been recognized by people.
Cai Jia's brush and ink techniques are not extremely superb, and painters who can surpass him in terms of technique may not be able to surpass him in the artistic conception of their works. As a result, there are such masterpieces of landscapes that show the characteristics of the times. Looking at the scenery in the painting, you will understand that landscape painting has realistic characteristics and life characteristics, and will show vitality.
Paying attention to the times and respecting tradition, Cai Jia developed the creative proposition of the integration of poetry and painting of his predecessors, and found the fusion point of natural beauty and artistic beauty from life.
Further reading
What else can be seen except for the chill, two different snowy landscapes.
The two "Three Visits to the Thatched House" have different creative concepts.
Where does the flowing water float lightly, Pu Xinji's "Smoke and Rain Return to the Boat".
Can you see any difference between the two "Rain and Ji Pictures".