Artwork Description

Title:Blue Baijia Lake

Artist
Wei Luning

Date 2016

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions 19.7 x 23.6 in (50 x 60 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Blue Baijia Lake (2016) by Wei Luning is a tranquil landscape painting that captures the stillness of a calm expanse of water beneath a soft blue sky. Executed in oil on canvas, the scene is imbued with subtle tonal variation and reflective light. A single boat drifts in the foreground with touches of orange and white, while a bridge and faint urban silhouettes recede into the misty horizon. The shoreline on the right, dotted with dense foliage and traditional-style architecture, brings compositional balance and natural rhythm to the piece.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Wei Luning’s distinctive style draws upon the literati painting tradition while embracing the techniques of Western oil painting. His brushwork ranges from fluid to impasto, capturing the sensory qualities of atmosphere and surface. The gentle tonality and diffused light suggest an affinity with the Impressionist school, yet the quietude and poetic minimalism speak to traditional Chinese landscape aesthetics. Wei’s works often dwell on the meditative qualities of water and nature, positioning him as a contemporary inheritor of a deeply historical visual culture.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2016, this work reflects Wei’s continued exploration of urban nature and the cultural significance of water in Chinese life. Baijia Lake, located in Nanjing, has become a symbolic site of environmental reflection within a modern cityscape. The painting subtly meditates on the relationship between natural tranquility and human encroachment, capturing the tension and harmony between tradition and modernization—an ongoing theme in post-reform Chinese art.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The surface of the canvas is stable, and the paint retains its original texture and tonal clarity. There are no signs of damage, restoration, or discoloration.

6. Artistic Significance
Blue Baijia Lake is emblematic of Wei Luning’s refined ability to blend lyrical expression with technical precision. His contribution to contemporary Chinese landscape painting lies in his capacity to imbue seemingly ordinary views with depth, silence, and presence. This work stands as a poetic meditation on place and perception—an excellent acquisition for collectors of East Asian painting and contemporary nature-based art.