FU BAOSHI (1904-1965)

Painted in 1954, The Lady Xiang depicts the mythological goddess of the Xiang River, a deity eulogised in the ancient poem, Nine Songs, attributed to the poet Qu Yuan. A passionate idealist, Fu Baoshi admired Qu Yuan’s fierce love for his country and the people. Goddess of the Xiang River was one of his favourite subjects. The noble beauty of the goddess is portrayed in Fu Baoshi’s tautly controlled brushwork, contouring the slender figure of the goddess in flowing lines. Her light canary dress, outlined by gossamer-like brushstrokes, flows in the wind. The background illustrates the poem: ‘gently the wind of autumn whispers / on the waves of the Dongting lake the leaves are falling’.

1954 was the year when Fu Baoshi created some of his finest portraits. His 1954, titled Nine Songs, contains a similarly-composed leaf depicting the Lady Xiang. The distinguished author and historian Guo Moruo had published a modern translation of the poem the year prior, which inspired Fu Baoshi to paint these subjects. The present lot is perhaps one of such iterations from an intense burst of creativity. Fu Baoshi’s additional 1962 colophon expresses his sense of joy of viewing the painting again, attesting to its importance within the artist’s oeuvre.