Painting by Wang Weide - born 1944

Wang Weide, Have a Rest
copyright Wang Weide

Mr. Wang Weide is an outstanding figure among Chinese contemporary artists, firstly because of the high level of quality of his art works. Secondly, he has succeeded in remaining among the leading artists of his country over several decades despite changing periods of artistic style and ideology. He has also mastered the traditional Chinese woodblock print as well as modern Chinese painting, which recently caught international attention for the sale of paintings at record prices of up to a million dollars. The oil painting "Have a Rest" is a typical example of Mr. Wang Weide expressing himself.

An Eventful Life and Career

For a deeper understanding of the painting "Have a Rest" it is quite useful to look back at the career and life of Wang Weide. He was born in 1944, towards the end of World War II. A few years later the People's Republic of China was proclaimed. Then came the Cold War and the Soviet Union exerted a strong influence on all sectors of Chinese life, including the arts. The Cultural Revolution under the leadership of chairman Mao Zedong brought chaos, a shattered economy and a philosophy in which the individual had no value. And today Wang Weide creates art during the new era of China's booming economy and return to the world community as a powerful nation.

Until the early 1980s, art in China was closely connected to the politics and ideals of those in power. Art was thus used as a means of propaganda. Fortunately, Wang Weide was one of the few artists, who managed not to offend Chinese politics or politicians. He created art on a generally acceptable level and combined his art works with expressiveness and brilliant substance. The tougher the official censorship was became, the more subtle his approach had to be.

Subjects

Wang Weide, Have a Rest - detail
copyright Wang Weide

The artistic tradition of China has a close connection with the country, its nature and the people. Tradition has been the strongest in the countryside. The idea of honesty and sincerity of the rural people and the working class in the city has an intellectual tie with Chinese philosophy of nature. Love for your homeland and sacrifces for the community achieved with your own hands' work - as it was propagated by the communist ideology - and the traditional Chinese philosophy of nature are not too far away from each other. This general bond of philosophical thinking is also the theme of Mr. Wang Weide's art work.

Have a Rest

The oil painting "Have a Rest" in portrait format of 65 by 57 cm (25 by 22 inches) takes a snapshot and close-up view into this philosophy and life. A young woman is resting, sitting on a wooden chair. She looks tired, a bit worn-out and maybe thoughful, maybe also worried. She is dressed in a moderately modern style and has a shoulder-bag hanging over her shoulder across her frontside. Her headscarf makes her recognizable as a woman from the countryside.

It looks like this might be a close-up scene from what appears to be a farmer's market. What appears to be potatoes are spread out on a blanket on the ground. One can also see a primitive balance and a small scale. The young woman is probably a vegetable vendor, and the shoulder bag probably holds her money. Behind her are cardboard boxes and an old bicycle, which let the viewer know how she transported her goods to the market.

Artistic Focus

Wang Weide, Have a Rest - detail
copyright Wang Weide

For Mr. Wang Weide the young woman was meant to be the the major focus of this painting. She is in the center of the composition. She fascinates the viewer with her soft, but nevertheless intensive expression. Wang Weide portrayed his female "hero" with very realistic and figurative brush strokes, while the environment is emerged in a kind of fuzzy, brownish, earthy painting style. Weide uses the potatoes in a dual manner: they serve as an accessory to the painting but they are also attributes of the young woman.

The design of the painting has a quite peculiar quality. The composition "opens" itself towards the center. Thus the viewer feels like being a potential client of the vendor. Her expression literally urges the viewer to buy. It is hard to evade the girl's looks. On one hand, you have the tiredness and exhaustion of the young woman. On the other hand one can feel a certain interaction between the viewer and the woman. This gives this painting a very vigorous tension. And it empowers this quiet scene with a great vitality.

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