WANG FANGYU (1913-1997) Dragon Hanging scroll, ink on paper 86.4 x 62.2 cm. (34 x 24 ½ in.) With two seals of the artist
WANG FANGYU (1913-1997) Dragon Hanging scroll, ink on paper 86.4 x 62.2 cm. (34 x 24 ½ in.) With two seals of the artist
The esteemed scholar, collector, and artist Wang Fangyu (1913-1997), born in Beijing, began training in calligraphy from a young age. He had an illustrious academic career in the United States, where he was professor of Chinese language and literature at Yale and later Seton Hall University. United by a shared passion for art and connoisseurship, Wang forged a close friendship with Zhang Daqian. Together with his wife Sum Wai (1918-1996), Wang meticulously assembled the largest and most significant private collection of Bada Shanren’s works. This unparalleled collection served as the cornerstone for Wang Fangyu’s pioneering scholarship, establishing him as a foremost authority on Bada Shanren today. His co-authored monograph on Qi Baishi in 1979, alongside Hsu Kai-yu, remains a seminal work in the field. Wang’s own abstract calligraphy exudes dynamism and poetry, injecting fresh vitality into the tradition of calligraphy.