Autumnal equinox

780 $

This painting was created in 2018. With the end of the sketching class this year, my sketching journey stopped at a few simple drawings for Ms. Shihui. Of course, my oil painting skills have also improved a lot in the past year or so, and I have carefully explored my own way of speaking.

Overall Size: /
Size without the frame: 190cm x 210cm
Country: China
Date: 2018
Materials: Oil paint on linen
Condition: well preserved

Creative themes and style | My works revolve around the creative concept of "The land of humanity, People on the land". The people in the painting are people in nature, and the lines, shapes, and colors are close to nature. The nature in the painting is nature in the eyes of humans, existing in interaction with humans.I don’t pursue a series of works with a fixed and continuous style. I hope that the style of the pictures will synchronize with the changes in my life and always remain oscillating. The performance of the work must be in sync with the development of one's own life in order to be Sincere and powerful. Ideas are later.

If you would like to collect this artwork or know more about the artist, please contact us.

Reference view

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Artwork Interpretation

Autumn Equinox uses a portrait as a carrier to weave a delicate and intriguing artistic texture. In terms of form, the figure breaks away from photographic realism. The features and contours, under the touch of brushstrokes, retain the vivid traces of manual drawing. It is similar to the capture of human authenticity in Lucian Freud’s portraits. However, it weakens the rough realism of the skin and instead uses soft brushstrokes to outline the unique youthfulness and sensitivity of adolescence.

The composition focuses on the figure. The background, with freehand lines and light color washes, serves as both a foil and an addition of haziness. Just like the simplified treatment of space in Valentin Serov’s portraits, it abandons complexity, making the viewer’s gaze firmly fix on the figure. Within simplicity, there is richness—the free - flowing lines in the background seem to be the external extension of the figure’s moods, broadening the emotional dimension of the picture.

Color uses low - saturation, near - gray warm brown tones. The overlapping color gradients of the clothes echo the light colors in the background. Like the poetic purification of daily tones in Édouard Vuillard’s paintings, it abandons brightness and noise, using gentle and restrained colors to render the unique gloom and tranquility of the Autumn Equinox, also matching the delicate folds in the figure’s heart.

The brushwork is loose and rhythmic. Thick applications stack the texture of the clothes, and light wiping renders the soft halo on the face. The brushstrokes seem to have a breath, like the private narrative in Pierre Bonnard’s paintings, transforming pigments into a medium for conveying emotions. Each trace tells the dialogue between the figure and time, making the static portrait flow with the breath of life.

In terms of content and theme, under the name of “Autumn Equinox”, it implicitly metaphorizes the subtle mood at the growth node—both the nostalgia for the remaining warmth of summer and the awareness of the autumn tranquility. The emotional expression is hidden in the eyebrows, eyes, and gestures. The posture of resting the cheek on the hand and the quiet eyes convey the unique confusion and thinking of adolescence. It is the quiet pause of an individual in the seasonal transition and self - cognition, evoking the viewer’s empathetic recollection of life stages.

Recommended works with similar styles: Girl with a White Dog by Freud, Girl with Peaches by Serov, and Woman with a Hat by Bonnard. In these classic portraits, one can continue to explore the charm of the integration of human insight and artistic language.

FAQs

Q1: Why does the figure’s expression carry a subtle sense of contradiction?

A1: The eyes convey alertness and contemplation, while the corners of the mouth appear slightly softened. This restrained contrast suggests the figure is caught in thought or responding to an unspoken emotion, creating a tension that invites the viewer’s imagination.

Q2: What is special about the treatment of the clothing’s colors?

A2: The clothing is primarily rendered in gray-blue and earthy green tones, with layered touches of purple and teal. This interplay captures the interwoven coolness and warmth of autumn light, while the loose brushwork expresses both the fabric’s weight and a sense of visual movement.

Q3: What symbolic meaning lies in the background lines and color blocks?

A3: The curves and undulating patches behind the figure do not represent a literal setting. Instead, they resemble fabric billowing in the wind or drifting autumn leaves, abstracted into airy forms. This enhances the seasonal atmosphere of the autumn equinox, suggesting both transition and the passage of time.

Q4: In what kind of space would this work be best displayed?

A4: Autumn Equinox blends realism with lyricism, making it well-suited for modern interiors or cultural spaces as a standalone piece. In places like cafés, studies, or small-scale exhibitions, its quiet yet tense atmosphere can evoke resonance and reflection in viewers.

Q5: From a collecting perspective, what value does this work hold?

A5: Grounded in figurative realism while incorporating abstracted background elements, the work stands as a notable example of the intersection between contemporary representation and expression. In terms of collecting, it can function both as a thematic piece within portrait painting and as a work with a unique seasonal symbolism that lends itself to cross-themed exhibitions. It is well-suited for private collections as well as long-term display in curated art shows.