A Study Of Li Jian’s Landscape Painting

Li Jian was a famous landscape painter of the18th century in Guang Dong. During the reign of Qianlong, the Connoisseur activities rose in Guangdong. By contacts with Cantonese collectors, Li Jian got chances to view their calligraphy and painting collection. Learned from different former masters, Li Jian formed a varied style of painting:Through emulating Shi Tao’s work, Li Jian introduced the art of Shi Tao into Guangdong. While Li Jian sought to imitate Ni Zan’s work, he changed Ni Zan’s sparse style into wet, lush brushwork. In addition to the ink landscape, Li Jian was also good at painting blue-and green landscape. He gave the style a regional flavor in Red Kapok in Green Mountains, which was welcomed by Cantonese literati. Li Jian developed a distinctive style of landscape painting in Guangdong, thus he was regarded as a progenitor of Cantonese landscape painting tradition.