This landscape scroll painting holds the autumn temple theme the way a good poem holds its subject: lightly, and completely. Tonal control is the star: darks that hold, lights that breathe. Among pieces of timeless asian wall art, this is the quiet kind: balanced, calm, and easy to live with.
The waterfall is painted as a falling ribbon of pale silk against the dark rock. The temple motif is worked into the composition with classical restraint. The mist work is the soul of the piece, all suggestion and no statement. Autumn colors the scene, warm against the ink's cool restraint. The palette runs bright and varied, a celebration in mineral pigment. The ranges recede in stages, each paler than the last. The pine trees motif is worked into the composition with classical restraint.
Collectors of classical chinese artwork will recognize the vocabulary at once: restraint, balance, and a feel for the natural world. It makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who keeps a soft spot for classical art. One hook and it is up; the scroll hangs straight from day one.
