A French guest visits a booth featuring Chun'an's tea art. [Photo/WeChat account: chunanfabu]

Hangzhou's Chun'an county hosted a promotional event in Paris, France on April 1, during which 12 paintings created by farmers from Zitong town made their debut.

The event was part of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations, with both countries jointly hosting hundreds of activities related to visual arts, cultural heritage, and tourism promotion.

At the event, the 12 selected farmer paintings became a highlight.

Eric Duluc, president of International Tourism Federation of France, was impressed when he learned that the oil paintings, prints, and Chinese paintings were created by farmers who had not received professional training. Some of the artworks, he remarked, bore a resemblance to the style of Monet.

As a renowned Impressionist painter, Monet's works often reflected the influence of the Barbizon School – a group of French artists who, in the 19th century, ventured into the outdoors to depict rural labor, markets, and daily life in intricate detail. This rich, earthy atmosphere and vibrant ambiance had a profound impact on the later Impressionist movement.

Today, the Zitong farmer painters, living amidst rural landscapes, portray the scenery of Qiandao Lake and rural life through their artwork, alongside their agricultural pursuits. There are similarities in their creative concepts.

A bird's-eye view of the Qiandao Lake in Chun'an county, Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: chunanfabu]