Geese Flying over Reeds

The painting was dedicated to Cai Zhenhua (1912-2006) and his wife. Cai was born in Deqing, Zhejiang, and was a graduate of the Central Academy of Art. In the 1930s and 1940s, Cai earned much fame in the fields of advertising and publishing for his dedication to commercial design, in which he created many well-known advertising illustrations and comics. Mr. and Mrs. Cai both graduated from Hangzhou National College of Art in its early days. Mr. Cai was a student of Lin Fengmian and Lin had fond memories of Cai as a student with his fine performance. In the mid-1950s, Lin was living alone in a residence on Nanchang Road, Shanghai, after his wife took their daughters to move to Brazil. Cai Zhenhua would pay his teacher visits during festivities and the two shared a deep friendship. After the Cultural Revolution, in early 1977, Cai went to visit Lin again, and it was at this time that the artist painted this work and had it dedicated to Cai and his wife. Six months passed, and in October 1977, Lin's application to leave the country was approved and he left Shanghai to visit his family in Brazil. He subsequently moved to Hong Kong.