Artwork Description

Title: Strange Eyes
Artist: Xinlin Jiang
Date: 2011
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 44.3 × 21.7 in (112.5 × 55 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In Strange Eyes, Xinlin Jiang captures a moment of stillness and introspection in a young girl’s expression. Standing in full view with a red backpack slung over her shoulders, she gazes toward the viewer with a mixture of curiosity and subtle apprehension, her hands loosely grasping the straps of her bag. The work evokes both narrative and mood through this quiet confrontation.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Jiang employs expressive realism, blending textured brushwork with accurate anatomy and facial expression. The saturated reds and layered sweater tones bring warmth and earthiness, offset by a diffuse abstract background that emphasizes the figure's psychological isolation. Influences from Chinese realist portraiture and Western post-impressionism merge here with careful tonal modeling.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2011, the work reflects Jiang’s ongoing commitment to depicting rural life and the human condition in China. The girl’s clothing and demeanor suggest a life in transition, hinting at themes of education, movement, and identity. This piece belongs to a larger series of portraits that record contemporary childhood with raw honesty.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition, with no signs of damage, discoloration, or restoration. The surface retains a healthy pigment vibrancy and texture, and the canvas is structurally stable.

6. Artistic Significance
Strange Eyes stands as a poignant portrait within Xinlin Jiang’s oeuvre, emblematic of his deep interest in the emotional life of rural children. The painting invites empathy while also sparking reflection on the gaze—both of the subject and the viewer—offering a quietly powerful psychological insight into youth and circumstance.