Page 29 - Christie's Fine Cinese Classical Paintings, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

FROM THE COLLECTION OF PROFESSOR WEN FONG 方聞教授收藏 (LOTS 822-823)

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CHEN CHUN (1483-1544) studies of branches and flowers, fully inspired by nature, are
Flowers and Calligraphy brilliant performances in brush and ink and penetrating portraits
of the subjects. For Chen Chun, painting is an act of ink play from
Handscroll, ink on paper the heart. Together with Xu Wei (1521-1593), his expressionistic
26.7 x 403.9 cm. (10 Ω x 159 in.) individualism transformed flower paintings for generations of
Inscribed with six poems and signed, with seventeen seals of the artists that followed.
artist In the spring of 1539, while in the mood for wine, the fifty-six-
Dated spring day, jihai year (1539) year-old Chen Chun painted Flowers and Calligraphy on a boat
Eleven collector’s seals including four of Wang Wenbo (1659- in Suzhou. Measuring over four metres long, it depicts peony,
1725), three of Chen Jide (19th Century) and two of Xu Wenbo magnolia, orchid, chrysanthemum, narcissus and camellia, each
(b.1931) section separated by five-character quatrains inscribed by the
Colophon by Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), dated wuwu year (1918), artist. The colophon concludes that he painted the scroll in such an
signed with two seals inebriated state that he could ‘no longer tell the beautiful from the
Frontispiece by Li Ruiqing (1867-1920), signed with four seals ugly’. The ethereal flowers and branches are laid out with light ink
Titleslip by Zeng Xi (1861-1930), dated wuwu year (1918), signed then meticulously outlined, their colouristic beauty demonstrating
with one seal
the artist’s superb command of ink and wash. Li Ruiqing (1867-
LITERATURE: 1920) praised the otherworldliness of Chen Chun’s brushstrokes in
Kei Suzuki ed., Comprehensive Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Paintings: the frontispiece: ‘viewing this painting in summertime makes one
Vol. 1 American Collections, Private Collection, University of Tokyo feel like tasting ice and snow under plum blossoms.’
Press, Tokyo, 1983, pp. I-170-171, pl. A18-037. During the Kangxi period, Flowers and Calligraphy was in the
Manni Liu, P.Y. Kinmay Tang Memorial Gallery at the Asian Art collection of Wang Wenbo (1659-1725), a great book collector in
Museum of San Francisco, Orientations, Hong Kong, April 1992. Tongxiang. In late Qing, it was collected by the connoisseur Chen
(Colophon by Wu Changshuo) Essays on Wu Changshuo, fouluji juan Jide. In 1918, Zeng Xi (1861-1930) inscribed the titleslip, followed
4, Zhejiang People’s Fine Art Publishing, 2017, p.72. by a long colophon by Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) dated June
Zhu Aidi ed., Chronology of Chen Chun, Shanghai Shuhua of the same year. It also bears the collector’s seals of Madame Xu
Publication House, 2018, p.272. Wenbo, wife of Zhang Daqian, further adding to its illustrious
provenance.
NOTE:
Chen Chun (1483-1544) was one of the most influential flower HK$6,000,000-8,000,000 US$770,000-1,000,000
painters of the Ming dynasty. Hailing from a prominent Suzhou
family, he learned from the art of Shen Zhou (1427-1509) and 明 陳淳 墨花懷馨 水墨紙本 手卷 一五三九年作
Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) in his early years. His later intimate

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