近代 張大千 荷花 扇面|Lotus

Zhang Daqian

dated 1935 · Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on gold-flecked paper · Asian Art

Zhang Daqian first learned to paint flowers as a child from his mother. This sensuous ink painting is filled with nostalgia for the South and a time of innocence. The poem reads: Moving clouds mingle with the Milky Way. Leaning on the railing and staring at the stars, Do you not remember the enchantment of the South, where children wear red orpiment on their foreheads? [Trans. Ellsworth et al, Later Chinese Painting] Orpiment is an orange pigment worn by children to protect them from disease.

Artist

Zhang Daqian

Date

dated 1935

Medium

Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on gold-flecked paper

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986