Pagodas in Myanmar

CHINA

This picture was painted by the Lingnan school artist Gao Jianfu after a trip to Southeast Asia. The inscription in the upper right corner dates it to 1934. A thicket in the foreground is depicted with rubbed ink. Above the thicket, a pagoda is built on the edge of a cliff. On the right, another pagoda stands atop a precariously balanced rock. Small wild dogs sit beside the pagodas, appearing to guard them. Gao Jianfu skillfully combines Chinese and Western painting techniques to create a profoundly still, desolate atmosphere. The foliage and cliffs are delicately shaded to give them a weathered, three-dimensional appearance. A blend of red and orange color is used to portray the sunset in the background. The pagodas are partially colored to emphasize the diffusion of the light.