Artwork Description

Title:Lakeside Home

Artist
Wei Luning

Date
2016

Medium:
Oil on canvas

Dimensions
19.7 x 23.6 in (50 x 60 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Lakeside Home (2016) is a serene and atmospheric oil painting by Wei Luning, portraying a mist-veiled lakescape scattered with blooming lotus leaves. The foreground is rich in texture, with impasto brushstrokes forming the delicate pads and pink blossoms, while the background gently dissolves into an ethereal haze. Two small fishing boats, barely visible in the mist, float in the upper left—subtle markers of human presence in this meditative waterscape. The overall mood is quiet and contemplative, inviting the viewer into a moment of introspection and stillness.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Wei’s style in this work elegantly merges traditional Chinese landscape sensibilities with the physicality of modern oil painting. His use of texture and spatial diffusion reflects an understanding of literati ink wash techniques, while the tactile lotus leaves and reflective water surface evoke the naturalistic softness of Impressionism. This balance between detail and suggestion—form and void—is central to Wei’s ability to convey emotion through landscape.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2016, Lakeside Home reflects Wei’s deep engagement with water-based imagery, particularly the symbolic and spiritual resonance of lotus ponds in Chinese culture. The lotus, traditionally a symbol of purity and transcendence, is here rendered with a muted palette and restrained elegance. This painting can be read as a reflection on domesticity, memory, and belonging, themes made especially poignant within the rapid modernization of China’s urban lakeside communities.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is stable, and the paint surface shows no evidence of damage or restoration. The impasto areas are well preserved, and the atmospheric gradations retain their intended softness and depth.

6. Artistic Significance
Lakeside Home exemplifies Wei Luning’s nuanced approach to contemporary landscape, where nature is not merely depicted but quietly evoked. Through his sensitive balance of texture, tone, and composition, the artist creates a space of lyrical introspection—both rooted in Chinese tradition and resonant with global aesthetics. This painting would make a significant addition to any collection focused on poetic realism or East Asian contemporary art.