Signature
Signed Hsin-yu in Chinese
With two seals of the artist
ILLUSTRATED
Paintings by Pu Hsin-Yu, My Humble House Co., Ltd., Taipei, 2021, p. 93
+ OVERVIEW
With a stark resemblance of both the Northern and Southern Song schools, Pu Hsin-yu's landscapes of his later career are representations of scholarly works. The palettes are light and meticulously applied with elegance and spontaneity. Hence he was acclaimed as the last scholarly painter. As Huang Chun-pi mentioned, the smaller the paintings, the better they are. This work is a rare masterpiece on silk in a small scale. Rugged cliff was depicted with a side view. Sparse vegetation enhances the ancient aura of the scenery. This is also a reflection of Pu's scholarly character, as he soothed the spontaneity of Northern Song school with elegant and fluid strokes. Saturated ink and dry brush was used to depict cun on the cliff. Rugged outlines characterize the fragility of rocks. Ochre and soft tones were meticulously applied in multiple layers. A hut stands alone on the cliff highlighting the romantic solitude of autumn. Serenity is further highlighted by the absence of visitors. The unbalanced structure of dense composition on the left and spaces on the right forms a relatively flat scene yet highlights the tranquility of a utopian world. The inscription, "Pavilion on the Mountain in the style of Yuan'' shows the carefree and genuine character of Pu. In this painting, he painted as a scholar with respect to Song and Yuan styles yet being original to his personal style, forming a rare and intricate depiction of his works.