Cloud Sea of Mount Tai《泰岱云海图轴》

Hua Yan (1682–1756)
Hua Yan, courtesy name Qiuyue, and pseudonym Xinluo Shanren, was from Shanghang, Fujian. A renowned painter of the Yangzhou School, Hua Yan spent most of his life between Yangzhou and Hangzhou, making a living by selling his paintings. He excelled in painting, calligraphy, and poetry, earning the title of “Three Perfections.” His most famous contributions to painting were his innovative small freehand bird-and-flower technique, along with the styles of Bada Shanren’s large freehand ink paintings and Yun Shouping’s “boneless” realistic style, forming the three major creative influences in Qing dynasty bird-and-flower painting, which significantly inspired late Qing and modern painting development.

“Cloud Sea of Mount Tai” (1730)
This large freehand landscape painting by Hua Yan vividly depicts the mystical scenery of the cloud sea of Mount Tai. The near mountains are shrouded in mist, appearing ethereal and majestic, while the peaks loom beyond the clouds. The entire composition radiates an aura of dynamic tranquility, capturing the harmony of motion and stillness, showcasing Hua Yan’s rich imagination and expressive power.

华嵒（1682—1756），字秋岳，号新罗山人等，福建上杭人。扬州画派著名画家，一生大部分时间往来于扬州与杭州之间, 以卖画为生。他工画、善书、能诗，时称“三绝”，主以画名世，尤其是他开创了兼工带写的花鸟小写意技法，与八大山人朱耷的水墨大写意技法和恽寿平的没骨写生法，并称为清代花鸟画的三大创造性贡献，对晚清及近现代绘画的发展起着重要的启发作用。

此画为华嵒的大写意山水，着力描绘泰岱云海的奇幻境界。近处的山间风云，飘飘渺渺，蒸腾欲上；峰峦在云雾的笼罩下雄踞天外。整幅画形凝神溢，外动内静，奇中有正，显示了他丰富的艺术想象力与表现力。