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I n the centuries-old art of Chinese painting, a single brushstroke can carry the weight of a changing empire or a lifelong friendship. An extraordinary selection of paintings coming to auction this autumn offers a rare window into this intimate creative world.
Commemorating the 400th anniversary of Bada Shanren's birth in 2026, Sotheby's Hong Kong is honored to present the dedicated sale “Stroke of Zen—An Exquisite Masterwork of Miscellaneous Subjects by Bada Shanren.” Executed in 1684, the nine surviving leaves that make up this exceptional album attest to the artist’s prodigious mastery of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals. It’s also a pivotal reference work for scholars: the square seals bearing the name ”Bada Shanren” are the first known instance of the artist using this pseudonym in his work.
Poetry rich in classical allusions subtly hints at loyalist Ming sentiments; the irregular cursive calligraphic script, with extensive use of archaic and variant forms, anchors it in the critical transition towards “late Bada style”; whilst the paintings of everyday subjects—crabapple blossoms, lingzhi mushrooms, a myna, bamboo, a rabbit, a fish, taros, flowers, and banana plants—are rendered with exaggerated yet concise brushwork alternating between dry and wet, resulting in a distinctive ink wash style animated with Zen spirit.
This album enjoys a remarkable provenance: formerly owned by the Qing dynasty bibliophile Cao Buxun, it entered the collection of the renowned Singaporean painter Chen Wen Hsi (1906-1991) around the mid-twentieth century. It caught the attention of the art world after being researched and published by the great Chinese scholar Jao Tsung-I (1917-2018) in the 1970s, and has since been published more than forty times, including in major monographs on Bada Shanren. 2026 will see several major exhibitions mounted to mark the 400th anniversary of the artist’s birth, including at the Shanghai Museum (with key loans from Washington, D.C.’s National Museum of Asian Art) and Beijing's National Art Museum of China.
The great Qing dynasty painter Shitao created the remarkable Wang Sun Fang Cao Juan (Scroll of the Prince's Fragrant Grass) in the thirtieth year of the Kangxi reign (1691). It was gifted to his friend Wang Fengying (Shenweng), Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, in whose Beijng home he stayed during his famed Northern Tour. Regarded as a masterpiece among his freehand flower handscrolls, Shitao paints slender orchid stems surrounded by waving grasses, bamboo, pine, and craggy rocks in rich ink tones, with a relaxed and fluid composition, and unrestrained, spirited brushwork.
At the end of the scroll, Shitao transcribes lines from Li Bai's poetry, inscribing "As grass, one should be the orchid; as wood, one should be the pine," using images of the secluded orchid and sturdy pine to embody the noble integrity of the virtuous gentleman, and expressing the sincerity of the bond between kindred spirits.
This scroll enjoys an exceptional provenance: once catalogued and recorded by Chang Dai-chien (Zhang Daqian), it was formerly in the collection of the modern authoritative connoisseur and collector Wang Jiqian (1907-2003). Included in numerous monographs by contemporary Shitao scholars such as Jonathan Hay and Zhu Liangzhi, it was also exhibited in the Min Chiu Society’s 35th anniversary exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, In Pursuit of Antiquities (1995–1996).
“The autumn air is chill and desolate; I ascend the heights to bid farewell to the setting sun,” begins Pu Ru’s (1896–1963) poetic inscription on this sublime ink and color work. The lustrous white paper, with its rippled texture, complements the ink brushwork, evoking a tantalizing play of light as the viewer moves around the work. A renowned traditional Chinese painter and calligrapher, Pu’s reputation equaled that of his famed compatriot Chang Dai-chien, earning them the joint sobriquet of “P'u of the North and Chang of the South.” Commissioned by Wang Zhenfang (1896–1982), a prominent banker during the Republican era, this painting was passed down through the Wang family before coming to auction.
Chang Dai-chien (1899–1983) was an avid enthusiast of traditional Chinese opera, studying the visual styling of characters in spontaneous painterly studies such as this ink and color paper work.
Opera Figure does not specify a particular opera or role; instead, Chang captures the essence of the female “dan” role—fluttering ebony hair framing a floral ornament suspended between captivating “phoenix” eyes, heavily rouged eyelids and cheeks, and puckered vermilion lips. Two scarlet lines descending from the corners of the eyes resemble mask strings, a theatrical flourish that imbues Chang’s subject with dynamic vitality. “ There is spirit in my eyes; there is magic in my wrist,” reads Chang’s eloquent inscription.
Indeed, this work comes from the collection of Chang Sing Sheng (張心聲), his daughter—a provenance that underscores the deeply personal value the artist placed on this vibrant work.
Painted shortly before Li Keran (1907–1989) found himself inexorably drawn into the political turmoil of his homeland, Landscape with Rainbow radiates a simple, heroic optimism. Li dedicated the work to one of Chairman Mao’s patriotic poems, inscribing it: “First attempt at painting the meaning of Chairman Mao's 1933 poem 'Dabodi Bodhisattva Man'.” The poem reads: “Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet—who holds the colorful ribbon dancing in the sky? After the rain, the setting sun casts a slanting glow, and the mountain passes are shrouded in mist.”
Depicting the mountain passes adorned by the rays of the setting sun, lush foliage washed clean by the rain and a slender, glowing arc of color in the sky above, Li demonstrates his mastery of the “setting sun after rain” motif. These innovatively “backlit” works reveal soft layers upon closer inspection, an innovation inspired as much by Rembrandt’s chiaroscuro as classical Chinese landscape techniques.
This atmospheric hanging scroll conjures up majestic soaring cliffs shrouded in white mist.
Using subtle variations in ink density and wetness, Gao Qifeng (1889–1933) layers ink with a delicate palette of color to represent the interplay of light and shadow. Mountain-top pavilions and houses are meticulously rendered with light washes of ink and ochre, whilst a white ribbon cascades from the cracks in the cliff face, converging deep within the forest. Water, depicted through dazzling negative space, creates a stark contrast with the lush surrounding darkness. Birds perched on trees and circling the skies inject life into the desolate forest.
Blending reality and illusion, the composition harmonizes Lingnan School realism with classic poetic grandeur.
From the collection of the renowned Czech collector and connoisseur Josef Hejzlar (1927–2012), this work was dedicated to Hejzlar and his wife by Huang Yongyu (1924–2023) with the affectionate words, “Thirty-six ponds of spring water, we meet again in Jiangnan with white hair.” Landscape by Huang was featured in three seminal books on Chinese landscape painting written by Hejzlar, a prolific and widely respected collector whose friendships with many painters such as Qi Baishi, Li Keran, and Huang Yongyu led to the founding of his formidable collection. Huang’s and Hejzlar’s families remained close even after Hejzlar left China, and Huang marked their joyful 1987 reunion with the gift of this vibrant painting. It is accompanied by photos documenting the artist’s creative process.
From the celebrated Jinxiutang collection of fans, this folding paper fan introduces itself with the intriguing inscription: “I enjoy raising pigeons, but I am afraid to paint them.” Yu Fei'an (1888-1959) was not only fond of raising pigeons, but he was also tremendously skilled at painting them.
This particular work is a rarity, a depiction of a single Jade Wing Pigeon rather than Yu’s usual compositions featuring two or more pigeons. Short-beaked with glossy black feathers, the Jade Wing is a rare breed. The meticulous rendering of its plumage and outsized bell does not detract from the lively spirit of Yu’s bright-eyed subject. The inscription also references Yu’s 1928 monograph, A Record of Raising Pigeons in the Capital, which was serialised in the Beijing Morning Post and later translated into English. The fan rib was crafted by Zhang Zhiyu (1891–1961), the legendary bamboo carver in Beijing during the Republic of China era.
Painted in the summer of 1948, this work depicts a magnificent galloping horse with all four hooves suspended mid-air, its jet-black mane and tail flying proudly in the wind. The rich and fluid washes of ink reveal its undulating equine ribcage and musculature, conveying the supernatural momentum of its heavenly journey. Xu Beihong's (1895–1953) fusion of traditional Chinese and Western techniques garnered admirers from around the world. The former Vice President of the Republic of China, Li Zongren (1890–1969), a close friend and supporter of Xu, presented this work to the eminent British diplomat Lord Miles Wedderburn Lampson (1880–1964). Minister to China from 1926 to 1933, Wedderburn’s efforts during a period of great upheaval in China helped forge a new chapter in Sino-British relations. “His diplomatic acumen is truly admirable,” remarked Chiang Kai-shek admiringly in his diary.
In 1971, a year after moving to a picturesque new residence surrounded by pine trees just off California’s famous coastal 17-Mile Drive, Chang Dai-chien (1899–1983) painted this exquisite work. He initially kept it for himself, and later gave it to his family for safekeeping. Despite suffering from persistent eye problems in the early 1970s, Chang’s creativity remained undimmed. His trademark splashed ink and color techniques, honed through repeated practice, reached a new level of consummate skill and mastery. Dark ink overlaps and blends with deep lake blue and green color, whilst a delicate wash of ethereal pink and misty blue gently blankets the surface, reminiscent of the nearby Pebble Beach, where the vast sea surges and crashes against the reefs. “Whenever I did something, I didn't use my eyes, but rather my heart and hand,” he recalled.
