Page 187 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings Hong Kong Dec. 1 2015

LOT 1338
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE TAIWANESE COLLECTION

The construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway in Taiwan was one
of the island’s great engineering feats of the 1950s. When Zhang Daqian was
invited to the highway during its opening, the spectacular scenery along the road
led the way for years of inspiration and compositions for his paintings.

Throughout the panoramic landscape, ancient architecture and the imposing
waterfall are connected by the meandering road, while cliffs shown on the side are
dominated by precipitous rock faces. The artist created sparse contours with a dry
brush, and illustrated most of the painting using a wet brush shading technique to
bring to life the leafy forests and misty atmosphere amid clouds and cascades.

In the accompanying calligraphic scroll, Zhang Daqian composed a poem
in praise of the majestic landscape along the Central Cross-Island Highway,
dedicating it to his good friend and Taiwanese artist, Zhang Gunian. Residing
in Brazil at the time, Zhang Daqian’s words reveal his pride in Taiwan’s beauty
as well as a sense of personal nostalgia.

Zhang Gunian (1905-1987) was an artist and art educator. The nephew of eminent
artist Feng Chaoran (1882-1954), he started to study with Feng from a young
age and painted for a living from the age of 16. In 1949, Zhang emigrated to
Taiwan. He once served in the Education Department and at the Chinese Culture
University as a professor. He was known for his magnificent landscape paintings. In
July 1980, Zhang Gunian held a solo exhibition at the Taipei Museum of History,
which was attended by Zhang Daqian, Xu Wenbo and Soong Mei-ling. This lot
is accompanied with a signed and stamped certificate from Zhang’s son, Zhang
Zhengmin.

Soong Mei-ling (second from right) congratulating Zhang Daqian and his wife, Xu Wenbo, viewing

Zhang Gunian (left) at his exhibition in 1980 paintings by Zhang Gunian at his exhibition

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