Red Plum by Liu Haisu

Ink and color on paper
103.6x108.6cm
Liu Haisu Museum

Liu Haisu (1896-1994)
Originally called Liu Pan, courtesy name: Jifang; native of Wujin, Jiangsu Province; painter, fine arts educator. In 1913, with a partner, he established the first private school of fine arts in China. He was good at oil painting as well as Chinese painting, advocating expressionism. This work portrays an old, bright red plum. The bulk of the plum is contoured with heavy charred ink before ochre is added. Ink and ochre divides the space and arranges the branches freely. The plum is sketched with ink circles and then filled with extremely thick red. The painter makes no distinction between the sides of the leaves, ignores structure and doesn't bother to paint the stamen. He cares only about the division of space. Compared to the plums painted by earlier painters and those grown in the real world, perhaps Liu's plums are more appealing to modern aesthetic tastes.

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