Landscape of a Mountain Paradise

Chinese paintings that depict a world of reclusion far from civilization often present the Daoist concept of a mountain paradise of peace and serenity. Here the figures beneath foreground trees, a pavilion on the winding hill on the right, and mountain ranges and rivers beyond, provide well-articulated boundaries that serve to set off by contrast the mysterious middle ground of Daoist pavilions and temples.

An active member of the Wu painting school, Zhang Fu was known mainly for his landscapes that blend styles of various early masters. His works were characterized by the critics as having a naïve atmosphere and archaistic look. Shown here, the style is profound and different from the type with overly stylish and heavily applied ink. Much of his approach to build up the textures of mountains and water can be seen in renderings of long axe strokes in this landscape.