Artwork Description

Title: Le in the Landscape
Artist: Cao Jicai
Date: 2020
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 27.6 x 27.6 in (70 x 70 cm)

1. Artwork Identification:
Le in the Landscape is a whimsical and highly stylized oil painting by Chinese contemporary artist Cao Jicai. Dominated by smooth forms and vibrant color contrasts, the work presents a playful figure holding a miniature landscape scene—complete with towering, craggy green peaks and floating clouds—inside a golden basket. The image fuses elements of traditional Chinese shan shui painting with a bold, cartoonish sensibility.

2. Artistic Style and Influences:
Cao Jicai’s work bridges the innocence of childhood with the techniques of classical Chinese landscape painting. His practice is marked by vivid palettes, rounded geometric forms, and surreal compositions that draw from both traditional Eastern art and contemporary pop surrealism. In Le in the Landscape, Cao playfully contrasts the monumentality of natural scenery with the softness and minimalism of his character design, invoking nostalgia while exploring themes of containment and wonder.

3. Historical Context:
Created in 2020, this painting reflects the postmodern trend in Chinese contemporary art that emphasizes hybridity, play, and cultural introspection. Artists like Cao Jicai are part of a younger generation that seeks to reinterpret Chinese artistic traditions through modern lenses, often infusing their work with humor and imagination. The inclusion of mountainous forms and mist echoes centuries of Chinese scroll painting, now housed within a surreal, toy-like framework.

4. Provenance:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation:
The artwork is in very good condition. The surface is stable, colors are crisp and saturated, and there are no signs of damage or restoration. The canvas has been professionally stretched and preserved.

6. Artistic Significance:
Le in the Landscape exemplifies Cao Jicai’s distinctive approach to painting—merging traditional Chinese iconography with childlike imagination. His ability to distill complex cultural references into lighthearted, dreamlike images makes him a standout voice among contemporary Chinese painters. This work serves as both a tribute to heritage and a joyful reinterpretation of how we perceive and carry landscape, memory, and identity.