Ancient temple among mountains and valleys

This painting is done in a traditional style called the “light blue-and-green”. It is typified by a diaphanous but vibrant application of washed down ink and pigments of blue and green in various tones. The zigzag formation creates a landscape of mountains on either banks of a river. As the title suggests, there is an ancient temple in the foreground, almost hidden by the lush foliage. The hilly landform on the other side of the river is half hidden by the mist and clouds. The overall effect reminds one of the exquisite “blue-and-green landscapes” of the Suzhou School, with more pronounced tones created by the use of mineral blue and mineral green.

When looking closely at the temple in the foreground, one can see decorative features typical of Guangdong architecture on the roof. This attention to detail and realistic rendering, and the use of perspective - a Western concept - for the buildings, illustrate the artist’s attempt at introducing new elements to traditional Chinese painting, an innovation proposed by the Chinese Painting Research Society.