Shen Shijia (1906–2001), Blue-and-Green Landscape Painting.

The vertical painting executed in ink and mineral pigments on paper, depicting a mountainous landscape in the blue-and-green tradition. Jagged peaks rise dramatically amid drifting clouds, rendered with layered washes of turquoise and blue, contrasted with darker ink outlines and textural brushwork. Accents of autumnal foliage appear in subtle red tones, adding depth and seasonal atmosphere to the composition. The dynamic arrangement of peaks and mist conveys both monumentality and movement, reflecting a literati interpretation of classical landscape styles.

The inscription reads: “Mountains brushed by clouds in the evening breeze, footsteps seem enviable within the painted scene. In old age, I have grown too idle to climb and wander, thus I have missed the myriad autumn trees.” Dated to the third month of the yichou year, inscribed by “Xiling Shijia, an eighty-year-old man.” Seals read: “Xiling Shijia” and “Work after the age of eighty by Shijia,” with an additional seal at lower right reading: “Heaven preserves the fragrant vitality of grasses and trees.”

Shen Shijia (1906–2001), also known as Xiling Shijia, was a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. In 1929, he joined the Chinese Art Association and, together with Ye Qianyu, organized its first exhibition in Hangzhou. After 1949, he taught for many years at the Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts. He was a member of the Shanghai Artists Association, a research fellow of the Shanghai Institute of Culture and History, and an honorary fellow of the Zhejiang Institute of Culture and History.

{Approximate dimensions: H 37 1/8 inches x W 17 3/8 inches (94.3 x 44.1 cm)}

For additional information, please contact the Asian Art Department.