.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
While living in South America, Zhang Daqian built secluded garden residences but remained active within the local Chinese community. The present lot is believed to have come from a friend in Brazil who acquired several large works from Zhang in 1960. Created between summer and early autumn that year, these pieces bear no dedications and were likely commissions works.
Zhang Daqian employed a wide range of techniques when depicting water—whether sailing on lakes or fishing from boats. With expressive brushwork, he often left blanks or used only a few simple lines to indicate ripples. For fine brushwork, he drew inspiration from Song dynasty masters, using delicate, controlled strokes to create netlike water patterns; in other instances, he used long, curling lines to suggest circular waves.
In the present lot, Zhang paints in a highly expressive manner, characteristic of his bold and unrestrained brushwork of the 1960s. Yet the depiction of undulating waves remains clear, orderly, and netlike, echoing the Song dynasty techniques he favored in his middle years. The distant lake appears calm and mirrorlike, enhancing spatial depth. Two sailboats glide side by side, cutting through the waves and imbuing the scene with rhythm and movement. Dominated by ink and light washes of mineral blue, the composition is rich, deep, and engaging—a reflection of the artist’s joyful state of mind during this period.
Zhang Daqian employed a wide range of techniques when depicting water—whether sailing on lakes or fishing from boats. With expressive brushwork, he often left blanks or used only a few simple lines to indicate ripples. For fine brushwork, he drew inspiration from Song dynasty masters, using delicate, controlled strokes to create netlike water patterns; in other instances, he used long, curling lines to suggest circular waves.
In the present lot, Zhang paints in a highly expressive manner, characteristic of his bold and unrestrained brushwork of the 1960s. Yet the depiction of undulating waves remains clear, orderly, and netlike, echoing the Song dynasty techniques he favored in his middle years. The distant lake appears calm and mirrorlike, enhancing spatial depth. Two sailboats glide side by side, cutting through the waves and imbuing the scene with rhythm and movement. Dominated by ink and light washes of mineral blue, the composition is rich, deep, and engaging—a reflection of the artist’s joyful state of mind during this period.