GUAN LIANG | Lady with a fan

Collection of Guan Hanxing
Acquired directly from the above by the present important private Asian collector

Xue Jianhua, ed., Guan Liang, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, Shanghai, 2009, p. 41
CANS Art News Editing Team, ed., Guan Liang 1900 - 1986, Chinese Art Books Co., Taipei, 2012, p.108

The work is overall in good condition. Examination under UV light reveals very minor spots of retouching, primarily near the bottom of the canvas.
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Beauties Animated by a Gifted Brush Guan Liang’s portrayal of human subjects is highly accomplished, revealing the keenness of his observation, and his predilection for presenting the goodness in his subjects. Lady with a Fan (Lot 1039), the sole oil painting of a female subject known to have been created by the artist in the 1920s, is rare also for its large size. According to the artist’s publications and auction records, the artist created no more than five paintings exceeding 100 cm, including Lady with a Fan. It is thus regarded as an academic resource of singular importance. The woman in the painting is dressed in a qipao, a fan held lightly in her hand, legs crossed in repose, as she contentedly enjoys the drink, fruit, and newspaper before her. Her image is a representation of the modern woman, her intellect, grace, and self-possession reflecting the galloping strides made in China in the 1920s, following the New Culture Movement. Guan Liang’s style during this time was clearly influenced by the West, the people and objects in his paintings given mass through the use of light and shadow. Here, he leans toward the sepia colour tones of Western classical painting, unlike the artist’s later style of bright and bold colours.



This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Guan Hanxing, the artist’s son