Literati art has a long history. It was promoted by esteemed scholars, so much so that the medium has become increasingly mature and complete, especially when it comes to literati landscapes. Over the generations, many celebrated landscape masters have earned great admiration. But since the 20th century, the growth of literati art has stagnated. Furthermore, literati art faces developmental challenges in a gradually modernized Asia. But true creators with talent and dreams will not be swayed by the challenges of their time. Chiang Chao-Shen was talented, well-taught, well-read, and a diligent student. His knowledge eventually allowed him to create new ideas with traditional media. He is hailed as a central figure in the renaissance of literati art the 20th century.

Chiang Chao-Shen, stylized as Jiao Yuan, was born 1925 in She County, Anhui, at the foot of Huangshan Mountain. He showed brilliance and talent from a young age, meeting scholars with family members. From around the age of 10, he started carving seals, engraving monuments, copying text, and painting to help supply his family with money. His ‘small seal’ calligraphy also earned a lot of praise. During the war, Chiang Chao-Shen moved to Taiwan in 1949, and was hired to teach at Keelung Junior High the next year. That winter, he wrote a letter enclosed with his own poetry to Pu Xinyu, whom he had admired for a long time, hoping to learn from him. In response, Pu Xinyu said, “I see your literary talent, which is indeed rare in these times,” and agreed to be his mentor. After he began working at the National Palace Museum Department of Painting and Calligraphy in 1965, Chiang Chao-Shen spent decades studying the works of past artists and researching Chinese painting and calligraphy, learning the knowledge that would later nourish his own paintings. After his retirement from the National Palace Museum in 1991, Chiang Chao-Shen began a secluded life with a gorgeous view by the Liyu Lake in Puli Township, Nantou County, where he focused on his paintings and calligraphy. The artist cleared his mind of idle thoughts, and focused on all he has learned over the years. That year, in his bright new studio in Puli, he painted the large-scale painting “Autumn Scenery”, opening a new chapter of his creative career.

The old name for Poyang Lake is Peng Li. Legend tells of a large lake called Peng Li Lake by the Yangtze River during the reign of the Yellow Emperor. By the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Poyang Lake, formed by shifting waters in the Yangtze River, inherited the same name. With this as inspiration, Chiang Chao-Shen painted a gorgeous landscape on a 5-meter wide surface, using an elegant grayish green shade to depict autumn forests. Dense foliage peek out from between the thick and continuous mountain peaks, and the air appears bright and dry. A few dozen trees with red or yellow leaves dot the scenery, drawing out a strong sense of autumn, and creating a serene, leisurely atmosphere. Whether looking at this painting from afar or up close, viewers will find charming details. On the right side of the painting, between the mountains, a faint stairway rises along the mountainside, leading to a house among lush trees where a few literati rest. Behind them are steep mountain peaks, each with its own majestic form, covered in foliage, or rocky cliffs. The crags extend stunningly into the sky, an awe-inspiring view.

To the center of the painting, a few houses sit among trees surrounded by mountains, secluded and far from the rest of the world. Before the houses stand two trees, red and yellow respectively, drawing the viewer in. As the scenery unfolds, the viewers’ gazes climb peak after peak, losing themselves in hidden mountain paths, sometimes resting on a mountain top with a eccentric pine tree, other times visiting hidden valleys, or following some literati up a mountain trail, to hear the wind and songbirds. The scene opens up as the viewers reach the lake. Surrounded by mountains, the surface of the lake is bright and clear, reflecting the artist’s welcoming and peaceful state of mind. “Autumn Scenery” is a grand masterpiece painted in Chiang Chao-Shen’s later life, containing his deep knowledge of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and printmaking, while also displaying his long, comprehensive research about literati art. The painting is modest, with simple techniques, yet has a natural, bright, and harmonious atmosphere.