Zhang Daqian’s Landscape Painting Style in the Taiwanese Period (1976–1983)

Abstract

Zhang Daqian (張大千 Chang Dai-Chien), one of the few internationally renowned Chinese artists of the twentieth century, captivated a global audience with his eclectic blend of styles that masterfully merged the ancient with the modern and the Chinese with the Western. His Taiwanese period (1976–1983) stands out as a unique phase in his career, when he created a remarkable fusion of styles. Despite its significance, this period remains largely underexplored in Western scholarship. This thesis begins with an account of each stylistic period in Zhang’s career before his Taiwanese period, emphasizing the foundations that underpin Zhang’s stylistic convergence. I then analyze his stylistic characteristics in the Taiwanese period, setting them in the context of Zhang’s political views, his unparalleled status in Chinese art historiography, his relationships with Eastern patrons and connoisseurs, and his response to detractors who cast doubt upon his artistic prowess in old age. The thesis concludes with a comprehensive interpretation of Zhang Daqian’s Panorama of Mount Lu 廬山圖, which, I argue, masterfully epitomizes his life’s voyage and final years in Taiwan.