Still Life
Tu Ke
1958
- YEAR:1958
- MEDIUM:Oil on canvas
- DIMENSIONS:33.5×43 cm
Introduction
Tu Ke, the founder of the “Subtropical Color School,” was renowned for his landscapes. He rarely creates still lifes, with only about five known examples in various collections to date. During his sketch trip in Guilin in 1958, he infused his work with keen observations and passionate impressions of the southern natural scenery. In Still Life he completed in the same year, the calla lilies and chrysanthemums in a vase were portrayed by combining post-impressionist techniques with Chinese traditional decorative artistry. This work reveals the artist’s profound affection for familiar objects from his hometown and his outstanding ability to distill colors. Also, it demonstrates his vivid practice and unique response to the “nationalization of oil painting” within the multi-ethnic cultural context in Guangxi.
