Conversation

By Zhao Shao'ang (Chinese, 1905–1998), White Peacock and Red Persimmon, hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper, 175 x 81 cm. (68 7/8 x 31 7/8 in.), sold at auction, Christie’s Hong Kong, in 2019, for 8,045,000 Hong Kong dollars. #Art #arthistory #China #chineseart

The lot essay: “ As the last disciple of Gao Qifeng (1889-1933), a master of the art of the Lingnan School, Zhao Shao’ang, one of the “Tianfeng Seven,” can be considered one of the most extraordinary artists among the second generation of the Lingnan School. His works show a sense of pure beauty and are separated from the spirit of politics and revolution. These qualities distinguish him from the first generation of the Lingnan School.
Zhao was an expert of the flower-and-bird genre. The art master Xu Beihong (1895-1953) also praised him as “the best in the modern Chinese flower-and-bird genre” in his letter to Hu Shih (1891-1962). Peacock, the subject matter that Zhao loved to paint, also known as “auspicious bird”, is the king of birds and traditionally symbolizes “truth, goodness, and beauty.” Zhao Shao’ang was awarded the International Art Gold Medal at the Belgium Centenary Independence World Fair in 1930 with a peacock painting.

White Peacock and Red Persimmon has the same subject and composition as his 1969 work1, currently in the collection of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. It is speculated that the dates of these two works were likely close. The persimmon branch drawn by freehand brushwork with thick and fresh ink colour contains the style of Gao Qifeng’s vigorous brushwork. The colour gradient of the leaves combined green, yellow, and red tones and formed a soft and harmonious contrast to the white peacock, which increases the layering of the painting. The white peacock stands on the branch, opens its mouth and looks back, with its pure white tail spreading slightly; all of which were made up of Zhao’s delicate brushwork. The scene makes the viewers feel the sound of peacock’s call and presents the graceful and elegant temperament of the peacock as well. It is not only a fabulous work that combines “truth, goodness, and beauty,” but also a combination of visual and auditory multi-sensory experience.”