Chinese Landscape Painting -
Chinese Water Towns
in the style of Wu Guanzhong
Chinese Landscape Painting -
Water Towns
Chinese Water Towns
Wu Guanzhong
Course Outline
The Basics
Calligraphy
Chinese Water Towns
Chinese Water Towns
These are ancient historic towns
situated south of the Yangtze
River and made famous by its
canals, old architecture and
bridges.
The Yangtze River
he Yangtze River played an important
part in the historical, economical and
cultural development of China with the
State of Wu.
The Yangtze River
The Yangtze River played an important
part in the historical, economical and
cultural development of China with the
State of Wu.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal linked the Yellow River
and the Yangtze River and was important
in the transportation of goods and people,
effectively unifying northern and southern
parts of the Middle Kingdom. It led to the
growth of commerical centres.
Smaller canals in and around commerical
towns provided links to the waterway
system especially around Suzhou.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal
Chinese Water Towns
The water towns are also known as
“The Venice of the East”
Chinese Water Towns
Zhouzhuang
Wuzhen
Tongli
Xitang
Zhujiajiao
Luzhi
Nanxun
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu
Zhouzhuang came into being during
the Spring and Autumn Period (770
BCE - 476 BCE) and contains many
historic buildings and structures.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu
Shuang qiao or Twin Bridges (Shide
Bridge and Yongnan Bridge) are the
most famous. They were built in the
MIng dynasty.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu
Chengxu Temple is a Daoist temple
built during the Song dynasty. It is
opposite the Puqing Bridge.
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu
Fuan Bridge was built during the Yuan
dynasty, a single arch between two
towers.
Wuzhen, Zhejiang
Wuzhen is most famous for its ancient
stone bridges and stone pathways
Wuzhen, Zhejiang
Wuzhen, Zhejiang
Fanglu Pavilion Teahouse
Wuzhen, Zhejiang
Bridge within a Bridge is when the Tongji
Bridge crosses the river from east to west
and the Renji Bridge running from south to
north joins.
Tongli, Jiangsu
Tongli retains much of the ancient Wu
region town with old buildings and it's
canals.
Tongli, Jiangsu
Three Bridges of Taiping, Jili and
Changqing represent blessings.
People walk over them for luck during
weddings and births.
Tongli, Jiangsu
Pearl Tower Garden
Xitang, Zhejiang
Xitang is an ancient town that goes
back to the Spring and Autumn
Period when it was located at the
border of the State of Yue and Wu.
The town crisscrosses nine rivers and
contains numerous residences and
temples.
Xitang, Zhejiang
Xitang, Zhejiang
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai
Zhujiajiao was established about 1,700
years ago as an important trading hub for
the countryside. 36 stone bridges and
numerous rivers line this town.
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai
Fangshen Bridge is the longest and
tallest stone bridge with four life like
lion statues.
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai
Lang Bridge is a wooden bridge.
Zhujiajiao, Shanghai
Yuanjin Buddhist Temple was built
during the Yuan dynasty..
Luzhi, Jiangsu
Luzhi is famous for its waterways and
ancient bridges some dating back to
the Song dynasty.
Luzhi, Jiangsu
Nanxun, Zhejiang
Nanxun was established in the 13th century as a
commerical centre thanks to the silk industry and
the town developed from the waterways.
Nanxun, Zhejiang
Nanxun old town, “land of fish and rice”
and “silk market”.
Nanxun, Zhejiang
Nanxun old town
Wu Guanzhong
(1919 - 2010)
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong was one of the
greatest contemporary Chinese
painters who fused both Chinese
art with Western influences.
He painted various aspects of
China including landscapes in a
style like the impressionist
painters of the early 1900s.
Wu Guanzhong
He studied Chinese and Western
painting at the National Arts
Academy of Hangzhou under
Pan Tianshou and Lin Fengmian.
Lin Fengmian - Autumn in
Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong
He moved to Paris in 1947 to
study at the École Nationale
Supérieure des Beaux Arts.
He took a great liking to the
Post-Impressionists like van
Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne.
Wu Guanzhong
He returned to China in 1950.
Between 1954 and 1964 he
taught at Tsinghua Univesity,
Beijing and was able to make
trips around China, making
sketches of things and the
landscape.
Wu Guanzhong
He started to paint with oil and
watercolour in a western style,
but then reverted to paint in
the traditional Chinese way,
using ink and colour on paper.
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong
“ Through painting landscapes
I have grown to love my
motherland even more and
wish to be forever intoxicated
in her embrace.”
Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong
The Yangzte River in 1974
Wu Guanzhong
Zhouzhuang
Wu Guanzhong
His works become more
abstract when using ink and
watercolour, using expressive
minimalist brush strokes to
convey the essence of form
and the splash of bright colour
harks back to the Post
Impressionsists.
Wu Guanzhong -
Wu Village
Wu Guanzhong -
Water village in Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong -
Water town in Jiangnan
Wu Guanzhong -
Water town in Jiangnan
Chinese Water Towns
Course
Chinese Water Towns
Course Outline
Architectural features
Houses
Trees
Bridges
Boats
People
Pavilions and Temples
The Basics
The Four Treasures
Chinese Brushes
Goat hair
Weasel/wolf
hair
Chinese Ink
Ink Stick & Stone
Bottle
Moon Palace Paper
Other Treasures
Marie's Chinese Watercolours
Calligraphy
Calligraphy in Asia is a
“higher art form”
than painting because
it truly expresses the
individual spirit of the
artist.
All the brush
strokes in
Chinese
calligraphy are
used in Chinese
brush painting
Holding the Brush
Architectural Features
Autumn on the Wall
Autumn on the Wall
Twin Swallows
