Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

chen peiqiu, RIVER TOWN. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder.

The facts

Artist: chen peiqiu wahooart.com/en/artists/chen-peiqiu/
Artist’s dates: 1922 – 2020
Original size: 32 x 86 cm
Movement: Chinese Ink Wash Painting

Copyright This work is still under copyright. chen peiqiu died in 2020; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2090. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

RIVER TOWN — chen peiqiu

How big is it?

The original measures 32 × 86 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

Shaded: the lifetime of chen peiqiu (1922–2020)

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

RECLUSE IN THE AUTUMN MOUNTAINS wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-recluse-in-the-autumn-mountains-AQZC8U-en/
Bird by the Bamboo wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-bird-by-the-bamboo-AQZC9G-en/
Lush Mountains by the Shore wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-lush-mountains-by-the-shore-AS7CSL-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Espresso #3f473e

Catalogued palette

#3F473E
#C5D5C8
#657867
#8FA692

Palette: Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Espresso
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Artist

chen peiqiu

Born in Nanyang, China

early life and education

chen peiqiu, a renowned chinese guohua painter, was born in 1922 in nanyang, henan province. during the second sino-japanese war, her family took refuge in kunming, yunnan province. chen's early life was marked by her mother's artistic influence, but she initially aspired to become an engineer, believing it would be more beneficial to society. however, her family's opposition led her to pursue economics instead.

artistic journey

chen's artistic path began when she attended a huang junbi's art exhibition in kunming, which inspired her to apply to the national academy of art (now china academy of art in hangzhou). under the influence of professor li keran, chen graduated in 1950, specializing in traditional chinese painting, particularly landscape, flowers, and birds. her work also explores impressionism and postimpressionism.

achievements and accolades

chen peiqiu is one of the most prominent modern women artists in china, featured on every edition of the hurun art list of best-selling living chinese artists at auction since its inception.

in 2016, she ranked number 16 with sales of us$7.9 million, making her the highest-ranked woman artist among the top 100.

one of her landscape paintings was sold in 2014 for $3.4 million.

notable works and exhibitions

some notable works by chen peiqiu include:

orchids (72 x 46 cm, ink), a stunning example of her traditional chinese painting style.

river town (32 x 86 cm, ink), showcasing her skill in capturing scenic landscapes.

her work was exhibited in the first shanghai biennale in 2000, further solidifying her reputation in the art world.

museum and legacy

the government of shanghai has opened a xie zhiliu and chen peiqiu art gallery in nanhui new city, dedicated to the artist couple. some of her calligraphy is preserved at the tianfei palace in songjiang's fangta park. view more works by chen peiqiu on AllPaintingsStore.com: [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-peiqiu](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-peiqiu) [browse through her collection, including orchids and river town, on AllPaintingsStore.com.](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@@/aqzca6-chen-peiqiu-orchids) learn more about chen peiqiu's life and work on wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chen_peiqiu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chen-peiqiu)

Where to read more

The artist chen peiqiu wahooart.com/en/artists/chen-peiqiu/
Similar works More works to compare wahooart.com/en/art/similar/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/
Article Hokusai's Masterpieces: 25 Iconic Prints & Paintings for Art Lovers wahooart.com/en/articles/hokusai-s-masterpieces-25-iconic-prints-paintings-for-art-lovers-en/
Article John Constable's Masterpieces: Explore 25 Iconic Landscapes for Your Home wahooart.com/en/articles/john-constable-s-masterpieces-explore-25-iconic-landscapes-for-your-home-en/
Article Romantic Landscapes: 10 Masterpieces for Your Home wahooart.com/en/articles/romantic-landscapes-10-masterpieces-for-your-home-en/
Article Hudson River School: 10 Masterpieces That Capture America's Wild Beauty wahooart.com/en/articles/hudson-river-school-10-masterpieces-that-capture-america-s-wild-beauty-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for RIVER TOWN

wahooart.com/en/art/download/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: peiqiu, chen. RIVER TOWN. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/
APA: peiqiu, chen (n.d.). RIVER TOWN [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/
Chicago: chen peiqiu. RIVER TOWN. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/
Harvard: peiqiu, chen (n.d.) RIVER TOWN. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-river-town-AS7CSH-en/

RIVER TOWN — chen peiqiu

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: chinese landscape, mountain river scene, traditional art. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at RECLUSE IN THE AUTUMN MOUNTAINS, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Themes that come back through the work of chen peiqiu: traditional chinese art, impressionist techniques, landscape aesthetics. Which of them do you see here?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.