Artwork Info: Portrait of Huang Jianyuan (1844

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Portrait of Huang Jianyuan (1844–1911)

130.0 x 92.0 cm

ding shangyong (1902 – 1978)

Discover Ding Shangyong’s unique blend of traditional Chinese & modern art! ‘Matisse of the East,’ his innovative style captivated audiences. Explore his impactful legacy.

A gentleman in a robe of blue silk gazes out at the viewer, a yellow chrysanthemum clutched delicately in his left hand. In the foreground, a plant of blossoming chrysanthemum clusters next to a gnarled rock, while in the background more flowers grow at the base of a parasol tree, which arcs gently above the scholar, framing him in the center of the picture. The subject is Huang Jianyuan (1844–1911), a late Qing scholar-official. The painter of the portrait itself did not sign the work; the inscription is by Huang’s friend Ding Shangyong (active late 19th century), a scholar-official and painter who added the landscape background. The deep shading of the face likely reflects the portrait painter’s knowledge of photography, which was introduced to China in the 1860s.