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Lot Essay
Fu Baoshi’s Lady Xiang is inspired by Qu Yuan’s Nine Songs. In January 1942 during the war, Guo Moruo’s historical play Qu Yuan premiered. The same year, Fu began to paint portraits inspired by characters from Qu Yuan and the Nine Songs. Fu and Guo worked closely in the same government department during the war, and their friendship fostered mutual artistic influence. Fu’s creations on this theme clearly echo Guo’s play, as in Guo’s words, it “imbued with the sentiment of the rise and fall of the nation, especially honoring loyal ministers and virtuous recluses.”
Fu explored the theme of the Lady Xiang theme throughout his life, showing evolution and development. In the 1940s, his Lady Xiang featured elongated features influenced by Gu Kaizhi, her expression often carrying melancholy loss—reflecting the era’s national sorrow. By the 1960s, her face had rounded and slightly fuller, eyes brighter, and the sorrow diminished—mirroring shifts in society and temperament.
The seal guimao dates the painting to 1963 and the painting exemplifies his style in the 1960s. The lady stands gracefully, her delicate features embodying classical beauty. Her turning gaze is especially expressive; light ink washes create transparent, longing eyes. She is set amidst a vast, hazy expanse with swirling autumn leaves descending from the heavens—some near, some far, drifting and fluttering. Painted on silk, the fluid figure lines and spontaneous leaf dots vividly capture the poetic essence of the original verses.
Fu Baoshi dedicated the present work to Wu Zhonglian (1908–1967), a political figure and judicial official. She and her husband, Jiang Hua (1907–1999), were long-serving government administrators who worked in Zhejiang after 1949. Wu served as President of the Zhejiang High Court from 1952 onward, where she played an active role in advancing legal reforms.
Fu Baoshi recuperated in Hangzhou for six months beginning in October 1962, during which time he likely painted this work as a gift to Wu. The painting was later gifted to the present owner by the Wu family in 1976 and has remained in the same collection for five decades.
Fu explored the theme of the Lady Xiang theme throughout his life, showing evolution and development. In the 1940s, his Lady Xiang featured elongated features influenced by Gu Kaizhi, her expression often carrying melancholy loss—reflecting the era’s national sorrow. By the 1960s, her face had rounded and slightly fuller, eyes brighter, and the sorrow diminished—mirroring shifts in society and temperament.
The seal guimao dates the painting to 1963 and the painting exemplifies his style in the 1960s. The lady stands gracefully, her delicate features embodying classical beauty. Her turning gaze is especially expressive; light ink washes create transparent, longing eyes. She is set amidst a vast, hazy expanse with swirling autumn leaves descending from the heavens—some near, some far, drifting and fluttering. Painted on silk, the fluid figure lines and spontaneous leaf dots vividly capture the poetic essence of the original verses.
Fu Baoshi dedicated the present work to Wu Zhonglian (1908–1967), a political figure and judicial official. She and her husband, Jiang Hua (1907–1999), were long-serving government administrators who worked in Zhejiang after 1949. Wu served as President of the Zhejiang High Court from 1952 onward, where she played an active role in advancing legal reforms.
Fu Baoshi recuperated in Hangzhou for six months beginning in October 1962, during which time he likely painted this work as a gift to Wu. The painting was later gifted to the present owner by the Wu family in 1976 and has remained in the same collection for five decades.