Dedication and self-improvement: The Liu Jing Xiu Tang Collection of Chinese Paintings

Born in Shengci town, Jingjiang city of Jiangsu province in 1887, Liu Kuo Chun studied briefly at private school at the age of 10. In 1916, he established Dalun Machine Weaving Factory with his partners. From the 1930s to 40s, he set up several textile printing and dyeing companies. After his three visits to Japan and a few tours to Europe and America, he introduced back to China, the most advanced technology and modern ideas of management. Furthermore, he was the first in the country to successfully fabricate new materials such as corduroy and velvet, and hence, his successful business was widely acknowledged as a rare economic miracle.

With a gift of discerning opportunities, a passion for advanced technology and management reform and a strength of horses for courses, Liu Kuo Chun eventually became the leader in the textile industry of the time. In 1941 he began acquiring paintings and calligraphy in Shanghai. He also attended exhibitions, where he met and made friends with collectors and connoisseurs such as Qian Jingtang (1907-1983), Wu Hufan (1894-1968), Xie Zhiliu (1910-1997) and Wang Nanping (1924-1985). Through their appreciation sessions from time to time, Mr Liu enhanced his knowledge on paintings and calligraphy. Later he acquired many works from private collections in Nanjing, Beijing, Chongqing , Hong Kong and Changzhou etc. that enriched the quality and quantity of the Liu Jing Xiu Tang Collection.

In May 2013, Christie’s Hong Kong offered this illustrious private collection for the first time and caused a sensation. The sale consisted of 12 paintings spanning across classical and modern eras. The most notable highlight was Zhang Daqian’s magnificent Lotus, where the contrasting colours reveal a deeper level of harmony.

Among the 21 beautiful works of the Liu Jing Xiu Tang Collection offered this season, there’s also this marvelous painting by Zhang Daqian, which was painted right after his journey in Dunhuang in the 1940s. Especially after the War of Resistance ended, he traveled around the world and searched for masterpieces in classical painting and calligraphy. At that time, Daqian’s vision was still intact, thus he had enough energy to imitate and invoke the essence of the paintings. Many of his imitated works of classical landscape masterpieces were produced during this period, which was later considered the peak period in Daqian’s early artistic career. This work showcases the artist's deep traditional skills and reverence for the classical tradition, and was exhibited in Recent Works of Zhang Daqian held in Shanghai in May of the same year, before being purchased by Liu Kuo Chun from the exhibition, and has been kept secret for more than half a century before it reappears in public in this auction.

Among the classical paintings of the Liu Jing Xiu Tang collection, there’s also works that illustrate the untrammeled royal spirit and affectionate vigour. In his spare time from the myriad of state affairs, Emperor Qianlong delightfully practiced the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He ordered the compilation of Treasures of the Stone Canal Pavilion (Shiqu Baoji) for the paintings and calligraphy. Such cultural triumph symbolises the successful civilian governance and prosperous military achievements during the Qianlong period. The Replanted Wutong Studio not only captures a moment of historical grandeur, but also conveys the emperor’s sentiment on the changing and passing of things. He had inscribed 24 poems on which the upper part of the Replanted Wutong Studio was punctiliously filled up. One can imagine when the impressive Replanted Wutong Studio was hung in the room, the emperor was reconnected to the past and then expressed his sentiments through poems, ink and brush over the course of 41 years.

Mr Liu not only had outstanding business achievements but also a strong sense of social responsibility. A philanthropist, he sponsored various charitable projects related to education, temple restoration, etc. Part of his paintings, calligraphy and furniture collection had been donated to various cultural institutions, including Nanjing Museum, Changzhou Museum, Changshu Museum and Jingjiang Archives, for sharing his love of art with the society. The overall quality of his collection, and his passion for art and philanthropic achievements, all make him standout as a role model for today’s collectors.