Mountainous View of Switzerland

Chiang Er-shih originally studied under Yangzhou scholars and the renowned landscape painter Huang Binhong (1865–1955). After 1949, Chiang moved to Hong Kong and later New York where he not only became a popular ink painter but also made a fortune as an art collector and dealer. With the help of Chang Dai-chien, he collected many old paintings, original or replica, from which he drew inspiration and refined his own painting skills. Inscribed with “ink play by the Qingshuang householder (Qingshuang moxi 青霜墨戲),” this panoramic landscape based on a European trip best represents the accomplishment of this artist. The long handscroll features his vigorous brushwork and rhythmic composition, with competent applications of dense texture strokes and swift ink washes.