ILLUSTRATED:

Wu Guanzhong-Watercolour and Gouache Paintings, Sin Hua Gallery, Singapore, 1990, no. 5

The Painting Collection of Wu Guanzhong, P G publishing Pte Ltd., Singapore, 1991, no. 2

Discussion on Wu Guanzhong-Selected Papers on Wu Guanzhong, Guangxi Fine Arts Publishing House, Guangxi, 1999, p. 134

In the early 1950s, Wu Guanzhong twice taught at the Department of Architecture, in which watercolor is an important course. Then in the mid-50s, he produced a series of watercolor paintings on the theme of Beijing's buildings and streets. This piece of the cafe in Zhongshan Park was drawn at that time. Zhongshan Park is a tourist attraction, a gathering place for literary and art circles. The pavilion "Laijinyu" was an exhibition hall at that time, where the brothers Zhang Daqian and Zhang Shanzi had exhibitions.

When Wu Guanzhong created this piece, the climate had changed. He described the painting as "Drawing at the teahouse in Beijing Zhongshan Park. In the 1950s, people were busy with their work, so the teahouse had very few visitors." In the watercolor, the thriving screen wisteria climbed all over its supporting frame, while the teahouse was nearly empty and quiet, with only a couple of visitors at that time. Besides its meaning, this painting is unique for its elegance and serenity, and for the harmony of its charm with the Chinese scholars.

From the 1950s to 1970s, Wu Guanzhong delicates to combine the natural and vivid features and rich colors in the European oil paintings with the spirit of traditional Chinese art as well as aesthetic ideals. From the 1970s onwards, Wu Guanzhong gradually took up Chinese painting, in which he applied traditional Chinese materials and tools to express a modern spirit, and to make innovations in Chinese paintings. His water-ink works are novel in theme, delicate in composition and uniquely adept at expressing poetic thoughts through point, line and surface.