Lin Fengmian , Lady Playing Moon Guitar (1950)
By Eve HO, Kwok Ching 53454183
Lin Fengmian was a Chinese artists who born in Guangdong in 1900. He had joined
the Study-Work Program which sponsored by the government and traveled to
France to learn the technique of Western oil painting. In his ink painting, it
is not difficult to find a combination of Chinese and Western painting style
and formal elements. The painting Lady Playing Moon Guitar is painted by Lin in
1950. It is an ink and color painting which included both Chinese and Western
formal elements.
The composition of this painting is similar to the Western style rather than the traditional Chinese style. For our view, we can find three separated parts in the background. There are two pieces of grey colors and a piece of white color in the middle. Grey colors are depicting two walls and the white color depicts the window. These three pieces of color are in proportion and forming a horizontal balance. Different from the Chinese style, the female figure placed in the center of the painting is not elongated. She is in a pyramid composition, which is a common formal element in the Renaissance painting. This shows a difference in period style, while comparing this contemporary painting with the traditional Chinese ink painting. The contrasts of dark grey and light grey in the left-hand side of the background, and the orange line in the right-hand side have formed an implied line. Even the painting look plain, audience will still able to recognize that the female figure is sitting on the ground and playing the moon guitar.
Lin has used slim and smooth lines as contour line to outline the edge of the female’s face and hand. Audiences can imagine the movement of her hands or her body gesture by looking at these lines. The slightly curved hand depicted has implied that the female figure is moving in a very soft and gentle way. She looks graceful and elegant in this painting. While drawing and painting the cloths, Lin has not use any contour line. This helps to create the lightness of the cloths. As mentioned before, Lin’s painting involves of a combination of Chinese and Western painting style. He uses Chinese and Western brushwork while painting different part of this painting. The walls, the female’s hair and the ornaments she wears are painted in Chinese brushwork. It is in the style of traditional Chinese ink painting. By following the lines, audiences are able to imagine the artist’s movement and rhythm while painting the art work, and feel his strength. While depicting the flowers in the left-hand side, Lin has not followed the traditional Chinese painting style to draw the edge of flowers with visible contour lines. His flowers are blurry and without specific actual line. This is similar to the Western artistic style, the flowers which depicted in the Impressionism painting.
Lin use achromatic colors, which are white and grey in the painting. Even though Lin has not use the linear perspective in this painting t, the contrasts of different tones of colors have help to create a sense of space. Lin use a darker done of grey to paint the wall on the left-hand side, and next to it is a small piece of lighter grey. Audience will know that the lighter grey part is actually the reflection of light which comes from the window (the piece of white in the middle of the background). This implies a light source and create depth in the painting, and shows a slightly sense of space. Apart from creating distance, Lin uses the contrast of low value and high value colors to create lightness. The female’s cloths have divided into two major parts, which are the dark blue cloth with ribbon and bands in white and light blue. Compare with the dark blue, which is a low value color, the higher value greenish white, light blue and white looks light in weight. This shows the transparent texture of the cloth. Moreover, in this painting, the major colors used to depict the lady are the colors which are similar to Chinese porcelain. The colors greenish white and light blue are alike to the colors of Guan Kiln and Longquan Kiln’s porcelain. Audience will find the female figure in the painting and Chinese porcelain look very much alike.
The female figure in Lady Playing Moon Guitar shows the traditional ideal beauty in Chinese literature. She has cherry-like month, almond eyes and curved eyebrows. She is as elegant and as fragile as Chinese porcelain. The mixture of Chinese and Western painting style and formal elements, and the porcelain-like female figure can show the personal style of Lin Fengmian.
The composition of this painting is similar to the Western style rather than the traditional Chinese style. For our view, we can find three separated parts in the background. There are two pieces of grey colors and a piece of white color in the middle. Grey colors are depicting two walls and the white color depicts the window. These three pieces of color are in proportion and forming a horizontal balance. Different from the Chinese style, the female figure placed in the center of the painting is not elongated. She is in a pyramid composition, which is a common formal element in the Renaissance painting. This shows a difference in period style, while comparing this contemporary painting with the traditional Chinese ink painting. The contrasts of dark grey and light grey in the left-hand side of the background, and the orange line in the right-hand side have formed an implied line. Even the painting look plain, audience will still able to recognize that the female figure is sitting on the ground and playing the moon guitar.
Lin has used slim and smooth lines as contour line to outline the edge of the female’s face and hand. Audiences can imagine the movement of her hands or her body gesture by looking at these lines. The slightly curved hand depicted has implied that the female figure is moving in a very soft and gentle way. She looks graceful and elegant in this painting. While drawing and painting the cloths, Lin has not use any contour line. This helps to create the lightness of the cloths. As mentioned before, Lin’s painting involves of a combination of Chinese and Western painting style. He uses Chinese and Western brushwork while painting different part of this painting. The walls, the female’s hair and the ornaments she wears are painted in Chinese brushwork. It is in the style of traditional Chinese ink painting. By following the lines, audiences are able to imagine the artist’s movement and rhythm while painting the art work, and feel his strength. While depicting the flowers in the left-hand side, Lin has not followed the traditional Chinese painting style to draw the edge of flowers with visible contour lines. His flowers are blurry and without specific actual line. This is similar to the Western artistic style, the flowers which depicted in the Impressionism painting.
Lin use achromatic colors, which are white and grey in the painting. Even though Lin has not use the linear perspective in this painting t, the contrasts of different tones of colors have help to create a sense of space. Lin use a darker done of grey to paint the wall on the left-hand side, and next to it is a small piece of lighter grey. Audience will know that the lighter grey part is actually the reflection of light which comes from the window (the piece of white in the middle of the background). This implies a light source and create depth in the painting, and shows a slightly sense of space. Apart from creating distance, Lin uses the contrast of low value and high value colors to create lightness. The female’s cloths have divided into two major parts, which are the dark blue cloth with ribbon and bands in white and light blue. Compare with the dark blue, which is a low value color, the higher value greenish white, light blue and white looks light in weight. This shows the transparent texture of the cloth. Moreover, in this painting, the major colors used to depict the lady are the colors which are similar to Chinese porcelain. The colors greenish white and light blue are alike to the colors of Guan Kiln and Longquan Kiln’s porcelain. Audience will find the female figure in the painting and Chinese porcelain look very much alike.
The female figure in Lady Playing Moon Guitar shows the traditional ideal beauty in Chinese literature. She has cherry-like month, almond eyes and curved eyebrows. She is as elegant and as fragile as Chinese porcelain. The mixture of Chinese and Western painting style and formal elements, and the porcelain-like female figure can show the personal style of Lin Fengmian.