Artwork Description

Title:The Flowers Are in Bloom at the Beginning of the Autumn Rain

Artist
Gao Huijun

Date
2006

Medium:
Oil on canvas

Dimensions
55.1 × 27.4 in (140 × 69.5 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
This evocative vertical-format landscape by Gao Huijun captures a transitional moment in nature: the blooming of late flowers as the first autumn rains descend. Rendered in oil on canvas, the scene is bathed in a muted palette of earthy browns and slate blues, enveloping the viewer in a misty forest where gnarled trees lean over a narrow river, and distant mountains fade into a brooding, cloud-heavy sky.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
In this work, Gao Huijun draws heavily from the visual language of traditional Chinese landscape painting (shanshui), integrating it with modern oil painting techniques. The result is a masterful synthesis of form and feeling—meticulously detailed vegetation in the foreground contrasts with the soft, atmospheric blurring of the background. While rooted in classical aesthetics, Gao’s style avoids rigid repetition; instead, he paints with intuitive lyricism and gentle melancholy. This work exemplifies his ability to transcend time-bound classifications, standing at the confluence of history and personal expression.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2006, this piece belongs to Gao’s mature period, by which time he had firmly established his visual and thematic language. Residing and working in the artists' village of Songzhuang, Beijing, Gao stood apart from many of his contemporaries who were engaging in politicized or overtly conceptual work. His paintings, by contrast, serve as spiritual refuges—quiet contemplations of internal and external landscapes, untouched by ideology and rooted in observation and emotion.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
There is a visible stretcher mark in the center of the canvas, a result of prior storage or pressure from the backside of the frame. However, this does not affect the integrity of the surface or the overall composition. Aside from this mark, the artwork remains in very good condition, with no flaking, discoloration, or evidence of restoration.

6. Artistic Significance
Gao Huijun’s paintings are celebrated for their meditative depth and technical finesse. The Flowers Are in Bloom at the Beginning of the Autumn Rain embodies the emotional resonance and atmospheric precision that define his practice. The work does not strive for spectacle or provocation; instead, it offers the viewer a moment of stillness and poetic reflection. This piece is a testament to Gao’s ability to evoke the unseen: the quiet sadness of seasonal change, the solitude of a hidden stream, and the gentle whisper of rain on blooming leaves.