Page 34 - Christie's Fine Cinese Classical Paintings, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANNA FANG, MADAME WONG NAN-PING 王南屏夫人房淑嫣珍藏 (LOTS 824-829)

Anna Fang (1924-2022) was the wife of the renowned connoisseur Wong Nan-ping (1924–1985),
distinguished collector of Chinese paintings and calligraphy of the twentieth century. The couple met
during their studies in Shanghai. They moved to Hong Kong in the late 1940s, where they continued
their pursuit of collecting and studying paintings and calligraphy. A leading member of the collecting
group Min Chiu Society, for decades Wong Nan-ping formed deep friendships with artists and collectors,
often travelling between Hong Kong and Taiwan accompanied by Madame Wong. In the 1970s, the
couple frequently visited the United States and Canada to visit their children, and during these trips, they
were able to visit North American museums and universities. Madame Wong thus became acquainted
with many scholars, collectors and artists.
After Wong Nan-ping passed away in 1985, Madame Wong donated the important calligraphy by Wang
Anshi (1021-1086) and the Southern Song edition of his complete works to the Shanghai Museum,
fulfilling the long-held wish of her late husband. With intimate knowledge of the collecting journey of
Wong Nan-ping, she also contributed to the touring exhibition of masterpieces from the Jade Studio,
beginning at the Yale University Art Gallery in 1993, and the seminal publication The Jade Studio:
Masterpieces of the Ming and Qing Painting and Calligraphy from the Wong Nan-ping Collection, compiled
and published by preeminent scholars including Richard Barnhart that followed. This spring, Christie’s is
honoured to present a selection of paintings from the collection of Anna Fang, Madame Wong Nan-ping.
A close companion and partner in life and art of Wong Nan-ping for nearly four decades, Madame Wong
not only played a crucial role in the founding of the Jade Studio Collection, and also in the preservation
and continuation of its legacy.
房淑嫣女士（1924-2022），浙江餘姚人，二十世紀鑑藏大家王南屏先生夫人。二人在上海求學時
期結識，隨後喜結連理。1940年代末，王南屏房淑嫣伉儷攜子女遷居香港，經商之餘亦繼續書畫
收藏與研究。王南屏為香港重要收藏組織敏求精舍成員，數十年來往返港、台之間，與當地藝術
家、藏家交流甚廣；房淑嫣亦時常伴隨在他左右，悉心照顧。1970年代，王南屏與夫人常訪美加
探望子女短住，得以拜訪眾多博物館、大學，房淑嫣因而與研究中國書畫的學者、藏家、藝術家
有密切往來。
1985年，南屏先生辭世後，房淑
嫣遵照先夫遺願，將宋刊《王文
公文集》和北宋王安石《行書楞
嚴經旨要卷》捐贈予上海博物
館。1993年始，玉齋珍藏明清書畫
大展開始在耶魯大學美術館巡迴
展出，次年《玉齋珍藏明清書畫
精選》圖錄由藝術史學者班宗華
教授編制、出版，其中得益房淑
嫣全力協助操持。經歷近四十載
的相伴偕行，房淑嫣對玉齋珍藏
作品了如指掌，凡談到一件作品
的來龍去脈，經過何人引薦，終
從何處入藏，都能如數家珍。是
次佳士得有幸呈獻一批王南屏夫 Anna Fang at the opening ceremony of the Jade Studio exhibition, the Chinese University of
Hong Kong
人房淑嫣珍藏書畫，以饗藏家。 房淑嫣女士於中文大學玉齋珍藏展開幕典禮

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