Trees and Figures

Having spent years in Europe studying Impressionist art in the 1920s, Lin Fengmian developed a unique synthesis of Western and Chinese styles by blending Chinese subjects and themes with Western perspective and atmospheric effect. This work of tight composition and dark colors suggests a bold experiment of self-expression; Lin covered the surface swiftly with vibrant ink lines, infusing the work with texture and a sense of spontaneity. Traces of a melancholy spirit—lonely figures in a landscape, barren trees—reflect perhaps the artist’s longing to escape.

Upon returning to China at age 26, Lin was appointed to the prestigious position of head of the newly established art academy in Beijing; he later held a similar post at the Hangzhou Art Academy. Lin and his students, such as Wu Guanzhong and Zao Wou-ki (1920–2013), are regarded among the most creative and accomplished artists in navigating Impressionism and abstraction in Chinese painting. In 1977, soon after the conclusion of the Cultural Revolution, Lin took up permanent residence in Hong Kong and devoted his time solely to painting.