Peaches and Chrysanthemums

Jozef Ševčík studied Chinese at the Chinese language department of Peking University and at the Beijing Diplomatic Institute in the mid-1950s. After completing his studies Ševčík was appointed as an official interpreter and translator at the Czechoslovak Embassy in Beijing, where he served from 1959 to 1964. During Ševčík’s time in Beijing he met with many leading modern Chinese artists, including Jiang Zhaohe (1904-1986) and Li Keran (1907-1989), acquiring their works for his personal collection.