Printmaking
Boating with a Tow
by Zhang Daqian · Neijiang, Sichuan$999
$1,299
In stock
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The Story
Created in 1932, Ten Miles of Dangerous Shores, Five Miles of Bays is inspired by Zhang Daqian’s journey along the Xin’an River in southern China. During his travels, he was deeply moved by the river’s winding course, dramatic rapids, and mist-shrouded mountains, which became the core inspiration for this painting. The work reflects Zhang’s mastery of traditional Chinese landscape painting, particularly the literati style of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The foreground features rugged hills dotted with pine trees, leading the eye into a vast expanse of water and distant peaks fading into soft, atmospheric mist. A small boat floats on the river, embodying the scholar-painter’s longing for peaceful travel and communion with nature. The poem inscribed at the top further enhances the scene’s poetic mood, describing the river’s twists and turns and the quiet joy of taking one’s time to admire the scenery. For Zhang, this painting was more than a record of a journey—it was a meditation on the rhythm of nature and the beauty of slow, deliberate observation. It showcases his early commitment to classical techniques while revealing his unique ability to infuse landscapes with personal emotion, making it a beloved example of his early artistic style.
Craft & Process
Using delicate ink washes, layered brushwork, and poetic calligraphy, the work blends classical landscape traditions with personal observation, capturing the serene, rhythmic beauty of the river and mountains.
About the Artist
Zhang Daqian
Neijiang, Sichuan
Zhang Daqian (1899–1983): master copyist turned modernist, inventor of the splashed-ink and splashed-colour style that redefined 20th-century Chinese landscape painting.
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