Welcome the Spring
Li Ruinian
1977
- Year：1977
- Medium：Oil on board
- Dimensions：46 × 61 cm
Introduction
Li Ruinian, one of the first-generation Chinese artists to study in Europe and an influential art educator, combined the rigorous modelling of Realism, the light-and-colour techniques of Impressionism, and the poetic sensibility of traditional Chinese painting to create a naturalistic style of oil painting. In his mature later years, Li’s palette grew brighter and his brushwork freer. Welcome the Spring was painted during this period, using simplified strokes to capture the delicate texture of the petals. The fresh, lively interplay of yellow and green tones depicts clusters of vibrant yellow roses leaning toward each other in a state of exuberant growth. Subtle variations of light and colour are woven into a richly layered gray tonal base, using simplicity to suggest complexity. The work conveys the poetry Li found in everyday life while also reflecting the fresh artistic vitality bursting forth in the “springtime” of the era.
