The ink-on-paper collection, titled Flowers and Birds, features intimate depictions of flora, fauna, and watchful birds across twelve distinct leaves. Historically preserved by Qing dynasty collector Pan Zhengwei, the artwork dates back to 1699 when the former royal turned 73 years old. The transaction highlights the historical importance of the artist's transition from a reclusive Buddhist monk into a celebrated secular painter and calligrapher.
Key points
The painter spent nearly three decades living as a Buddhist monk following the fall of th…: The painter spent nearly three decades living as a Buddhist monk following the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644.
Bada Shanren adopted his pseudonym around 1680 after returning to secular life as a profe…: Bada Shanren adopted his pseudonym around 1680 after returning to secular life as a professional artist and calligrapher.
The album's historical provenance traces back to its earliest recorded ownership under Qi…: The album's historical provenance traces back to its earliest recorded ownership under Qing dynasty collector Pan Zhengwei.
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Nature's longest affair is perhaps that between birds and flowers. The birds cling to the flowers, drinking their sweet nectar like a thirsty man who has finally found water in the desert. And all the flowers ask in return is that the birds carry their seeds far and wide, allowing new life to take root. It is a relationship that has existed for centuries, one that has inspired poets, painters and storytellers across cultures.
Bada Shanren was one painter who found extraordinary beauty in this seemingly ordinary relationship. His subjects were often no more than birds perched on branches, flowers in bloom, fish swimming in ponds and rocks resting in an otherwise empty landscape. Yet, he captured their essence in a way few artists could.
In the early spring of 1699, Bada Shanren painted
Flowers and Birds, an album of twelve ink-on-paper leaves. At 73, he had reached the height of his artistic maturity. More than three centuries later, the album made headlines when it sold for HK$61.9 million (approximately Rs 75 crore) at Christie's Hong Kong on October 27,…
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