ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)

Zhang Daqian painted Autumn Foliage on Verdant Hills in 1965, in which he stamped a seal inscribed with “1965, fifty-four (th year of the Republic)” in the upper right-hand corner. This seal, which bears both the Western and Republican years is a unique artist seal reflecting Zhang’s eagerness to forge together Western and Chinese artistic sensibilities. In the early 1960s, Zhang Daqian pioneered his iconic splashed ink technique; and through tireless creative experiments, his splashed ink and colour paintings reached full maturity by 1965. A spectacular display of blue, green and gold, Autumn Foliage on Verdant Hills is painted in azurite and malachite, two mineral pigments that give Zhang’s splashed ink paintings distinct, vibrant blue and green hues. A lone tree with foliage depicted in a few deliberate strokes juxtaposes the abstract composition and brings an autumn sentiment to its viewers.