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Lot Essay
Temple in the Mountains was created during the Lunar New Year in 1966. Between 1965 and 1966, Zhang Daqian travelled to the renowned scenic attractions of the Swiss and Austrian Alps and was deeply inspired by the landscape. During this period, he left many abstract and semi-abstract splashed ink landscape paintings of various sizes. The distinctive feature of these works lies in the scattered colour splashes, saturated colour gradation, and an abundance of water mixed with ink on the composition. Taking nature as his teacher, Zhang depicted the ever-changing scenes of mountains and clouds and the misty landscapes of rivers and mountains. This painting is undoubtedly a representative piece by the artist from the 1960s.
Zhang Daqian used his abstract, semi-automatic splashed ink technique to portray mountain peaks, cliffs, mist, flowing water, and towering waterfalls. The only identifiable elements in the landscape are two groups of pavilion-like buildings arranged staggered at the top of the painting, a stone bridge in the lower right corner, and layers of tree shadows directly below. The composition reveals a tranquil and exquisite lake and stream, mountain peaks and cliffs breaking through the clouds, and a pavilion built on the cliffs illuminated by natural light, displaying a dazzling golden brilliance.
The original collector of this painting was Wilbert Bernard Fountain (Wil Fountain, 1920-2015), a friend of Zhang Daqian in San Francisco. In 1974 and 1975, Zhang Daqian created two sets of approximately eleven prints using Western printmaking techniques based on Wil Fountain’s suggestion. Wil Fountain organized an exhibition featuring Zhang Daqian’s prints during this time.
Zhang Daqian used his abstract, semi-automatic splashed ink technique to portray mountain peaks, cliffs, mist, flowing water, and towering waterfalls. The only identifiable elements in the landscape are two groups of pavilion-like buildings arranged staggered at the top of the painting, a stone bridge in the lower right corner, and layers of tree shadows directly below. The composition reveals a tranquil and exquisite lake and stream, mountain peaks and cliffs breaking through the clouds, and a pavilion built on the cliffs illuminated by natural light, displaying a dazzling golden brilliance.
The original collector of this painting was Wilbert Bernard Fountain (Wil Fountain, 1920-2015), a friend of Zhang Daqian in San Francisco. In 1974 and 1975, Zhang Daqian created two sets of approximately eleven prints using Western printmaking techniques based on Wil Fountain’s suggestion. Wil Fountain organized an exhibition featuring Zhang Daqian’s prints during this time.