TAOSHAN / 桃山 BY WU GUANZHONG / 吴冠中

WU GUANZHONG / 吴冠中 (1919- 2010) 

Taoshan / 桃山 or Tao Mountain ( 3,325m - 10,909 ft) 

Taïwan

In  New House in the Lao Mountains, 1975, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) 

The mountains
Taoshan /  桃山 or Tao Mountain ( 3,325m - 10,909 ft) is a  mountain located in the north of the Wuling Farm and is one of Snow Mountains group.in Taïwan. The mountain is ranked N° 44 in Taiwan hicking declination scale.  In Atayal language (local tribe) the mountain is known as "Babo Kaba", meaning "Fist Hill". In Chinese the name translates as "Peach" mountain, due to the view from southwest side.

There are several climbing paths towards Taoshan. The simplest is through the Wuling four show route, starting from Sancha camp. There is also another path that directly goes up to Tao Shan, which starts from Tao Shan waterfall park.

The painter 
Wu Guanzhong / 吴冠中  was a contemporary Chinese painter widely recognized as a founder of modern Chinese painting.  He is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary Chinese painters. Wu's artworks had both Western and Eastern influences, such as the Western style of Fauvism and the Eastern style of Chinese calligraphy. Wu had painted various aspects of China, including much of its architecture, plants, animals, people, as well as many of its landscapes and waterscapes in a style reminiscent of the impressionist painters of the early 1900s. He was also a writer on contemporary Chinese art. Most of Wu’s early works were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It is difficult to track down works from his early days. Wu had an exhibit in 1942 when he was in school and it was hosted by the Sha Ping Youth Palace.
Wu Guanzhong has had solo exhibitions in major art galleries and museums around the world, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Korea, France, England and the USA. His paintings were exhibited at the British Museum in 199;, being the first living Chinese artist to have an exhibition there. One of his paintings, Seascape at Beidaihe (1977), was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of an exhibition of paintings from the collection of art dealer Robert H. Ellsworth. His work may also be seen in the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
In 2008, Wu donated 113 works to the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). This donation is the largest Wu Guanzhong donation to a public museum.
In 2010, Wu donated works to the Hong Kong Art Museum.

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2019 - Wandering Vertexes...
by Francis Rousseau 

GUANSHAN BY XU DAONING

XU DAONING  (970-1053)

 Mount Guanshan (3, 668 m - 12, 034 ft)

Taïwan

In  Heavy Snow On Guanshan, handscroll, ink and a little color on silk 

The mountain 

Mt. Guanshan  (3, 668 m - 12, 034 ft)  is located along Taiwan's South-Cross Island Highway and is the area's tallest peak. The trail offers a highly pleasant overnight trip through lush woods and alpine terrain.  Guanshan is formed by the ridgy coral reefs, with the high altitude, the sun set view here makes Guanshan one of the great eight views of southern Taiwan. It is a wonderful spot for overview the coast line. A temple on Guanshan called Kaoshanyan, with caves aside which formed by coral reefs, you are able to reach the significant sights flying stone and divine turtle rock through the path by the west side of the temple. The flying stone is a reef rock in the shape of a casque which caused by corrosion difference. The divine turtle rock is a naturally formed coral reef, visitors would tie a red ribbon on it, praying for fortune of marriage, career and pass the examinations.

Located in the southern part of Taiwan, Kenting is a popular scenic area surrounded by ocean and mountains. For more information, please visit the web site "Kenting Tourism"

The artist

Xu Daoning ( 许道宁) (ca. 970–1051/53) was a Chinese painter of the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1279) from Chang'an (now Xi'an) or Hejian now Hebei).  He started out life by selling medicine prescriptions in Kaifeng. While selling prescriptions, he also began painting nature scenes in the style of Li Cheng. After gaining popularity he took up painting murals for Chinese nobles.  His most notable work is Fishermen's Evening Song (ca. 1049).