River Landscape

Chang Dai-chien was one of the most prolific Chinese painters of the 20th century. Extremely versatile, with a distinctive style of his own, he also had the ability to closely imitate the styles of past masters. Notoriously, he additionally put this talent to use as one of the most successful modern forgers of Chinese painting.

Chang adopts here a style based on the early Qing literati painter Shítāo 石涛 (1642–1707). The spare landscape is accentuated by the tone of the poem that is quoted in the inscription. It reads, in part, “Every year, men are saddened by the end of the spring, but spring does not know their sentiments. Since we separated at the corner of the city wall, we have been left with bitterness and sadness, expressing our feelings only through letters. Leaning on the railing, I have to watch the sunset all by myself. Spouses are supposed to grow old together, but we, one on the south of the Yangtze River and the other on the north of the Weihe River, are three thousand miles apart.”

—Hè Zhù 贺铸 (1052–1125)