Xie An and His Concubines

Fu Baoshi’s figure paintings came to full maturity in the 1940s. This period is also known as the “Jingangpo Period,” referring to his residence near Chongqing. These paintings demonstrate his confidence and spirit to revolutionize ink paintings, much like Tang Dynasty poet Chen Zi’ang described in ancient poems. While Fu emulated the figure paintings by Ming dynasty painter Chen Hongshou, he instilled nuances and variety in his lines and a likeness to his figures’ composure. His preference for rough rather than smooth brushstrokes bring pensive and melancholic historical figures to life in a humanistic manner.

Xie An with Two of His Concubines is a story of scholar Xie An from the Eastern Jin dynasty. Xie led a hermitic life in Dongshan to avoid politics and societal affairs and often travelled for leisure in the company of his two concubines. The composition of the present lot echoes the painting by Ming painter Guo Xu with the same title. Xie An stands in the foreground; his hands are relaxed, and his facial expression is indifferent. His concubines followed him standing behind; their youthful spirit and make-up contrast with Xie An’s declining age, although the figures all bear an uninterested expression on their faces. Compared to Fu’s other versions of Xie An and his concubines, the present lot is rid of any background and allows the artist and the viewers to dedicate their focus entirely to the figures themselves and experience its potent solemnity.