PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Asia

ILLUSTRATED:
Hu Shan Yu 1909-1993 , Chuan Cheng Art Center, Taipei, 1998, color illustrated, p. 82

“Linyin Temple, Hangzhou” transpires the tranquility of the temple appearing under the bright blue summer sky into one of HU’s beautiful landscape paintings, further surrounded by brushes and blossoming florets as three figures heads towards the entrance of the temple. Hu Shanyu would often made extensive trips to visit uncultivated land to render his landscape works during the 60s and the 70s. Hu never depicted the scenic spots of West Lake directly because it was impossible to have done so during the Cultural Revolution. He therefore had to settle for painting at rural areas where tourists did not visit. “Linyin Temple, Hangzhou” is a painting of the Hangzhou countryside. Forests of tall, handsome fir trees in Hu’s oil paintings reveal aspirations for an ethnic style. He always stayed true to nature and expressed his own unique perceptions of beauty. In his paintings, Hu pursued perfection of structure, form, color, and lines but steadfastly resisted the temptation to perfect format for the sake of format. This artistic style is perhaps what he dedicated his life to pursuing. “Hu liked to use fine linen or cardboards for his paintings. Linen avoids the necessity of applying thick layers of paint, while cardboard has the advantage of displaying color contrast by absorbing oil and reducing shine. With regard to oil color, Hu preferred semi-opaque colors; sometimes applying transparent paints as the base coat for an almost watercolor-like effect. He formed his paintings with semiopaque colors or powerful lines and used thick colors to accent uate the effects.” This seems to be the consistent artistic ideal r eflected by Hu’s sixty-year career that has formulated into his own realistic style.

Hu Shanyu was bor n in Guangdong, China in 1909. He enter ed the National Hangzhou Academy of Art in 1929 and studied under Mr. Lin Fengmian. Having excelled in his academic performance, Hu was able to pursue studies in France, where he studied painting at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris. He studied the works of impressionist masters at the Louvre. Hu was interested in contemporary virtuoso Albert Marquet (1875-1947), who was influenced by Corot and impressionism. He was also fascinated by the unique style of landscape painter Maurice Utrillo (1883- 1955), the brush techniques of Alfred Sisley, and the use of colors by Paul Cézanne. After returning to China in 1935, Hu taught at the National Chongqing Normal School, the National Academy of Art, and then at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Starting from 1980, he held solo exhibitions in Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Kunming. His book Hu Shanyu Oil Painting Collection was published by the Shanghai People’s Fine Arts Publishing House. In 1933, the Shanghai Art Museum hosted a special, large-scale retrospective exhibition for Hu and received wide acclaim. Hu’s works are widely sought after by large organizations and private collectors.