Chinese Paintings by Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Fu Baoshi, and More Available at Bonhams

Among the highlights of Bonhams’ September Asia Week New York sale series is the company’s Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings event. This extensive auction highlights museum-quality works by masters of Chinese painting across the centuries, from Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian to Fu Baoshi and Zhao Mengfu. Among the top lots is Fu Baoshi’s Lady in the Studio, a 1945 hanging scroll executed in ink and color on paper. This work was formerly included in the Robert and Lisa Kessler Collection and was recently exhibited at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado. This work, created by the artist during the Sino-Japanese War, depicts a woman sitting serenely on a mat, scrolls laid out in front of her. In the background, an elegant plum blossom branch and vase rests on a window frame. The painting features delicate brushwork and ample negative space. Another key 20th-century lot is Zhang Daqian’s Lady from 1929. According to the auction house, the subject of this work— a woman in a flowing gray robe— may reference the historical Su Xiaoxiao, a famous courtesan and poet of the Southern Qi Dynasty period. 

Older works in the catalog include Cao Yuan’s Snow Landscape, which dates back to 1683. This is a hanging scroll that bears two artist’s seals and one collector’s seal. It depicts a mountainous landscape scene, with minute figures and houses lining a stream. Bidders can also consider an anonymous painting in the style of 14th-century artist Bian Jingzhao. Birds and Blossoming Flowers in a Garden depicts a layered vignette: a curved rock formation appears in the foreground, with birds and a flowering tree appearing behind. To browse the complete Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings catalog and register to bid, visit Bonhams’ website. Find more auction previews and news on Auction Daily.