Autumn scenery in the mountains – Baisong Wang

Analysis of the work Autumn Scenery in the Mountains by Baisong Wang

Technical analysis : Autumn Scenery in the Mountains is an oil painting in which Baisong Wang masterfully exploits the techniques specific to this medium. He uses expressive brushstrokes, combined with thick impasto, which bring depth to the landscape depicted. Autumnal colors, with a predominance of reds, oranges and yellows, are applied in layers and give life to a panorama in which the mountains blend into a harmony of warm hues. Oil painting here allows Wang to play with the subtle nuances of the autumnal light which contrast with the shadows of the mountains. The sky, often treated in softer or more neutral tones, accentuates the intensity of the colors of the landscape and thus reinforces the overall dynamics of the composition.

Stylistic analysis Baisong Wang 's style , in this painting, is at the crossroads of realism and expressionism, while drawing inspiration from Chinese pictorial tradition. The mountains and vegetation are represented with a certain precision, but the artist favors an expressive treatment of shapes and colors, which gives the work a particular energy. The use of vibrant colors and suggestive shapes, rather than strictly defined, creates a captivating atmosphere where nature becomes the mirror of human emotions. Baisong Wang opts for a semi-abstract approach in the treatment of details, leaving room for the viewer's interpretation. The chromatic variations provide a sensation of movement, as if nature, although frozen on the canvas, was in full transformation before the viewer's eyes.

The influence of traditional Chinese style : While expressing himself through oil painting, Wang Baisong remains faithful to the profound influence of traditional Chinese aesthetics, particularly landscape art (“shanshui”). , where mountains and rivers are recurring subjects. In Autumn Scenery in the Mountains , this influence can be seen in the way the artist uses space and perspective. As in traditional Chinese ink paintings, the emphasis is not on the photographic precision of the elements, but rather on evoking the atmosphere and feeling that nature arouses. Mountains are not just geographical shapes, but spiritual entities, symbolizing the quiet strength and permanence of nature in the face of changing seasons. The artist, through the play of light and shadows, recreates this feeling of immensity and spirituality specific to traditional Chinese landscapes. The touches of color and expressive brushstrokes also recall the spontaneity of the gesture in calligraphy, where each stroke carries a precise intention.

Symbolic Analysis : In Autumn Scenery in the Mountains , autumn, a season of transition, symbolizes both the beauty of change and the melancholy of nature in decline. The warm colors of the trees contrast with the torrent, suggesting the duality between the ephemeral and the eternal. The mountains, with their imposing mass, represent constancy and sustainability, while the flamboyant vegetation below testifies to the transient nature of life. Baisong Wang seems to want to remind us that, even in this phase of decline, nature retains power. Autumn, for him, is not only an end, but a phase of preparation for rebirth. The artist thus invites us to contemplate the beauty of the moment, while making us aware of the perpetual cycle of the seasons and the deep interconnection between man and nature.

The landscape then becomes a space of meditation where the viewer is encouraged to reflect on their own place in the flow of time. The vibrancy of the autumnal colors suggests a harmony that goes beyond the limits of the canvas, elevating the landscape to an almost metaphysical dimension.