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The Chiang Chao-shen Collection: Chinese Paintings from the Lingou Hall (Lots 163-167)
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Flowers, Vegetables and Insects
Details
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Flowers, Vegetables and Insects
A set of four scrolls, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
Each scroll measures approximately 32 x 32.5 cm. (12 5⁄8 x 12 ¾ in.)(4)
Two scrolls signed, two scrolls inscribed and signed, with a total of four seals of the artist
Four frontispieces by Jiang Zhaoshen (1925-1996) with a total of three seals
Dated xinwei year (1991)
Flowers, Vegetables and Insects
A set of four scrolls, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
Each scroll measures approximately 32 x 32.5 cm. (12 5⁄8 x 12 ¾ in.)(4)
Two scrolls signed, two scrolls inscribed and signed, with a total of four seals of the artist
Four frontispieces by Jiang Zhaoshen (1925-1996) with a total of three seals
Dated xinwei year (1991)
Further details
Christie’s is honoured to present the Chinese painting collection of Chiang Chao-shen, esteemed scholar, artist, and former Deputy Director of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. A leading authority in classical Chinese painting, Chiang’s profound scholarship and connoisseurship left a lasting mark on academia and the museum world. His private collection, spanning works from the Ming dynasty to the 20th century, reflects his lifelong dedication to scholarship and his deep artistic lineage.
Born in 1925 in She County, Anhui Province, Chiang, also known by his sobriquet Shuyuan, was raised in a cultured family. Under his parents’ tutelage, he began reading, writing, and seal carving at an early age. By the age of eight, he was already producing paintings and calligraphic couplets for patrons. At the age of nine, he had the opportunity to meet the master painter Huang Binhong in Shanghai.
Chiang moved to Taiwan with his wife in May 1949. That same year, he wrote to the renowned artist Pu Ru, who had also recently arrived in Taiwan, seeking to become his student. Pu Ru accepted, and Chiang formally studied classical prose and poetry under his guidance.
Beyond this formative mentorship, Chiang spent the next several decades immersed in Chinese history, literature, and art. He co-founded and actively participated in several influential art societies in Taiwan, including the Qixiu Jinshi Shuhua Hui (七修金石書畫會) with Fu Shen, Haijiao Yinji (海嶠印集) with Wang Zhuangwei, and Mingyi Shishe (明夷詩社) with Liang Hanchao. These groups promoted the study of painting, seals, and poetry, and helped establish Chiang’s reputation as a prominent cultural figure. In parallel with his scholarship, Chiang remained deeply engaged in his own artistic practice. He held his first solo exhibition in 1965 and subsequently exhibited widely in both Taiwan and mainland China.
In 1965, Chiang began his career at the National Palace Museum in Taipei as a deputy researcher. In 1969, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, he spent a year in the United States as a visiting researcher at the University of Michigan. During his stay, he had the opportunity to visit significant public and private collections of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, and he completed a study on the activities of Suzhou painters during the 16th century. Over nearly three decades at the Museum, until his retirement in 1991, Chiang published extensively on Ming dynasty artists, such as Tang Yin (1969) and Wen Zhengming (1977), and curated landmark exhibitions, including “Ninety Years of Wu School Paintings” (1972). In 1978, he was appointed Deputy Director and later served as Director of the Department of Chinese Paintings. He was widely respected for both his scholarship and leadership. After retiring in 1991, Chiang moved to Puli in Nantou County to focus on his artistic practice.
It is no surprise that Chiang Chao-shen assembled a distinguished private collection of Chinese paintings over his lifetime. Among the highlights are a Ming dynasty calligraphic work by Chen Chun and modern masterpieces by Huang Binhong and Pu Ru. In addition, a curated selection from Chiang’s collection will be offered in an online auction from 28 October to 11 November, providing collectors with a rare glimpse into the refined aesthetic of this modern literatus—encompassing paintings, calligraphy, inkstones, and ink rubbings.
Born in 1925 in She County, Anhui Province, Chiang, also known by his sobriquet Shuyuan, was raised in a cultured family. Under his parents’ tutelage, he began reading, writing, and seal carving at an early age. By the age of eight, he was already producing paintings and calligraphic couplets for patrons. At the age of nine, he had the opportunity to meet the master painter Huang Binhong in Shanghai.
Chiang moved to Taiwan with his wife in May 1949. That same year, he wrote to the renowned artist Pu Ru, who had also recently arrived in Taiwan, seeking to become his student. Pu Ru accepted, and Chiang formally studied classical prose and poetry under his guidance.
Beyond this formative mentorship, Chiang spent the next several decades immersed in Chinese history, literature, and art. He co-founded and actively participated in several influential art societies in Taiwan, including the Qixiu Jinshi Shuhua Hui (七修金石書畫會) with Fu Shen, Haijiao Yinji (海嶠印集) with Wang Zhuangwei, and Mingyi Shishe (明夷詩社) with Liang Hanchao. These groups promoted the study of painting, seals, and poetry, and helped establish Chiang’s reputation as a prominent cultural figure. In parallel with his scholarship, Chiang remained deeply engaged in his own artistic practice. He held his first solo exhibition in 1965 and subsequently exhibited widely in both Taiwan and mainland China.
In 1965, Chiang began his career at the National Palace Museum in Taipei as a deputy researcher. In 1969, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, he spent a year in the United States as a visiting researcher at the University of Michigan. During his stay, he had the opportunity to visit significant public and private collections of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, and he completed a study on the activities of Suzhou painters during the 16th century. Over nearly three decades at the Museum, until his retirement in 1991, Chiang published extensively on Ming dynasty artists, such as Tang Yin (1969) and Wen Zhengming (1977), and curated landmark exhibitions, including “Ninety Years of Wu School Paintings” (1972). In 1978, he was appointed Deputy Director and later served as Director of the Department of Chinese Paintings. He was widely respected for both his scholarship and leadership. After retiring in 1991, Chiang moved to Puli in Nantou County to focus on his artistic practice.
It is no surprise that Chiang Chao-shen assembled a distinguished private collection of Chinese paintings over his lifetime. Among the highlights are a Ming dynasty calligraphic work by Chen Chun and modern masterpieces by Huang Binhong and Pu Ru. In addition, a curated selection from Chiang’s collection will be offered in an online auction from 28 October to 11 November, providing collectors with a rare glimpse into the refined aesthetic of this modern literatus—encompassing paintings, calligraphy, inkstones, and ink rubbings.
Brought to you by
Carmen Shek Cerne (石嘉雯)
Vice President, Head of Department, Chinese Paintings