HONG KONG.- This May in Hong Kong, Christie’s will offer a range of stunning Chinese paintings at auction, including works from the classical to the modern age. Washing Horses by Zhao Mengfu as catalogued in Shiqu Baoji (dedicated press release here), and Scholarly Gathering till Twilight by Xie Shichen will lead the Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy sale on 28 May. Alongside two spectacular masterpieces, Temple by the Waterfall by Zhang Daqian (dedicated press release here) and Late Spring by Li Huayi, which will be presented in the 20th and 21st Century Art Evening sale on 26 May, a series of rare splashed-ink and colour masterpieces by Zhang Daqian, including Hills in Autumn Haze and Autumn Foliage on Verdant Hills (estimate: HK$6,000,000 – 8,000,000 / US$770,000 – 1,000,000) will be headlining the Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings sale on 29 May.

Kim Yu, International Specialist Head of Chinese Paintings Department, remarks: “This season, numerous highlights are from important private collections accompanied by exceptional provenance, having been passed down through generations. The selection of works epitomises the best examples of Chinese paintings through the ages, from classical compositions to works from the 21st Century. Collectors around the globe will appreciate the breadth of works on offer, which showcase a stunning range of styles and techniques of historically important artists and scholars across generations."

One of the highlights in the Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy sale is Washing Horses by Zhao Mengfu as catalogued in Shiqu Baoji. This rare and important painting was one of the thirty-eight beloved paintings and calligraphy collected by Qianlong before he became Emperor and entered Fujita Museum’s collection in Japan in the early 20th Century. Another leading lot is Scholarly Gathering till Twilight by Xie Shichen, a work that depicts the joy and excitement of literati gathering in the spring of Jiangan. Other highlights to be offered in the sale include a wide range of literati paintings and calligraphy by the Ming and Qing masters, including Wen Zhengming, Dong Qichang, and Jin Nong, as well as Yao Yunzai and Wu Li, and the extremely rare Almanac of the Second Year of the Yongzheng Period.

Alongside the previously announced magnificent masterpieces by Zhang Daqian, Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings presents extraordinary works from A Distinguished Southeast Asian Collector, including works by Xu Beihong and other modern masters. Xu Beihong’s Galloping Horse, Three Horses, and Horse Drinking Water manifest his accomplished skills at depicting the animal through different perspectives. Also, not to be missed are Contemporary ink master Li Huayi’s Listening to Clouds, which coveys a personal and philosophical dialogue between man and nature; and three of Modern ink master Liu Kuo-sung’s important works — The Earth, Our Home (B), and Tibetan Suite Series No. 201, the sale of which marks the celebration of his 90th birthday and his long and distinguished career, and his dedication and contribution to the art community in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and beyond. Christie’s Hong Kong will also present a delicately curated section Pride of Hong Kong this season, featuring works by artists who are significant to the development of ink art culture in Hong Kong, such as Rao Zongyi, Deng Fen, Lui Shou Kwan, and Koo Mei.