Artwork Description

Title: A Small View of Mountain Village
Artist: Xinlin Jiang
Date: 2011
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 19.7 x 19.7 in (50 x 50 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In A Small View of Mountain Village, Xinlin Jiang presents a serene yet vivid composition depicting a rural hillside bathed in warm, golden light. Executed in oil on canvas, the square-format work measures 50 x 50 cm and centers on a panoramic landscape where a lone figure and their dog traverse a path by the water's edge, flanked by terraced fields and a sun-dappled slope. The meticulous layering of color and shape underscores Jiang’s attentive observation and his emotive connection to the countryside.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This painting exemplifies Jiang’s lyrical realism, drawing from Chinese landscape traditions while incorporating modern plein air methods. The stylistic echoes of early 20th-century European Post-Impressionism—seen in the structured brushwork and rich earth tones—are seamlessly integrated with Jiang’s own regional sensibilities. The crisp horizon, rhythmic patterns of cultivation, and human scale recall the work of Chinese landscape painters dedicated to capturing the fading pastoral world.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2011, this work reflects Jiang’s broader project of documenting the traditional Chinese rural environment during a time of rapid urban expansion and modernization. As rural communities transformed or vanished altogether, Jiang’s paintings became quiet records of lived geographies, rooted in real places and moments. His choice of subject matter—untouched land, solitary walkers, and sunlit paths—captures both the poetry and pathos of a transitioning cultural landscape.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is reported to be in very good condition. The canvas is structurally sound with no evidence of restoration or surface abrasion. The paint layer remains vibrant and well-preserved, retaining its original luminosity and texture.

6. Artistic Significance
A Small View of Mountain Village is emblematic of Jiang’s sensitive visual storytelling and his deep engagement with place. It exemplifies his commitment to portraying intimate, everyday scenes with painterly elegance and cultural reverence. For collectors of contemporary Chinese realism or rural landscape painting, this work offers both artistic merit and documentary value, affirming Jiang’s role as a custodian of memory through art.