Ink Painting

Length:45.4 x Width:69.4 (cm)

Accession Number：20170300115

Ching Sung-Ling (1928-2012, Hebei, China) was a dedicated educator and artist who graduated from Kwang Hua University in Shanghai. He devoted much of his life to art education and founded the Tao-Tao Calligraphy and Painting Society to promote traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. His calligraphy, primarily in semi-cursive and cursive script, was shaped through study with renowned masters such as Yu You-Ren (1879-1964) and Wang Chuang-Wei (1909-1998). In painting, he trained under Fu Chuan-Fu (1910-2007), Huang Chun-Pi (1898-1991), and Chang Dai-Chien (1899-1983). Ching received numerous accolades, including awards from the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition, the National Teachers’ Art Exhibition, and the National Civil Servants Art Exhibition. He was also recognized as an Outstanding Senior Artist in Taichung and frequently participated in joint exhibitions both in Taiwan and abroad.
Sailboats on the Spring River is executed using techniques such as ink splashing, textural strokes, and tonal washes to depict a springtime riverside scene filled with lush vegetation and ambient moisture. The river is rendered with pale blue washes, while the fjord-like hills are first brushed with light ochre tones, then overlaid with ink to define the mountain forms and surface texture. Tree trunks are outlined using both double-contour and freehand techniques, while the foliage is primarily dotted in varying ink tones. The interplay of dry and wet brushwork, along with light and dark layering, evokes a vibrant, densely wooded landscape full of rhythmic movement. Sailboats on the river and red-roofed houses nestled among the trees are added with just a few brushstrokes, serving as visual accents. Within the freely expressive brushwork, the composition reflects the artist’s keen observation and understanding of the natural world.