According to John Geraghty, “Mian Situ has chosen to paint a village market scene he experienced on his most recent trip back to China. The location is in a small town in the county of Cangyuan within the province of Yun Nan in South West China.

“The market is a place of gathering, held every five days; this is where the rural Chinese people have the opportunity to trade their goods. Here, they can barter for anything from farm animals, to produce, clothing and all types of handmade items. There is something for everyone. And best of all this is a great place to people watch. The market place is an important social event, an opportunity to spend time with friends and relatives. Many of the people walk for several miles to attend the festival of the market, all dressed in their specific village attire.

“One can spend hours admiring this work with the diversity in clothing, the masterful composition of color and values, and the filtered indirect lighting and shadows. Each figure has its own personality, the faces and hands as with all Mian’s paintings are beautifully rendered, individual figures patiently awaiting an interested patron, others interacting, the child interested in the wandering dog, the two women with the large baskets on their backs, each add to the story line while leaving much to the viewers own imagination.”

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