The Five-Story Tower
Gao Jianfu (1879 – 1951)
- Date: 1926
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: 80 x 42 cm
- Classification: Paintings
About the Artwork
Gao Jianfu (born Gao Lun, style name Jueting) was a native of Panyu, Guangdong, and is acclaimed as one of the “Three Masters of the Lingnan School.” In his early years, he studied painting under Ju Lian. He later studied in Japan, where his artistic style was significantly influenced by the master Takeuchi Seihō.
The landmark depicted in this painting is the Yuexiu Tower in Guangzhou, commonly known as the “Five-Story Tower” (historically the Zhenhai Tower). Originally a high tower situated on the city wall, it was built during the Ming Dynasty. Over the course of more than six hundred years, it suffered destruction multiple times. When Gao painted this work in 1926, the “Five-Story Tower” had been reduced to mere ruins and broken tiles.
The brushwork in this piece is bold and vigorous. The depiction of rocks and trees completely departs from traditional Chinese methods of outlining (gou), texturing (cun), dotting (dian), and chopping (zhuo). Instead, the artist utilizes extensive washes to create the atmosphere of a desolate sunset, evoking a sense of bleakness and mystery.
“A perilous tower of ten thousand calamities, leaving only spreading vines, desolate mist, and faint fading sunlight.”
In his inscription (quoted above), Gao Jianfu expresses a sentiment of infinite lamentation regarding the ruins.
Provenance & History
This work exemplifies the “New National Painting” movement, blending traditional Chinese techniques with Japanese Nihonga and Western realism, characteristic of the Lingnan School’s aim to modernize Chinese art in the early 20th century.