Fu Baoshi watercolor painting, China, 20th century, in original wood frame under glass, 17 1/4 inches x 26 inches. Kaminski Auctions image.
BEVERLY, Mass. – On Sept. 21, Kaminski Auctions will bring to the podium an exceptional pair of Chinese paintings. The pair of watercolor paintings by Fu Baoshi, each depicting a scholar viewing a waterfall in a rocky landscape, will be the highlight of Kaminski’s fine Asian art and antiques auction. The paintings were purchased 30 years ago by a private collector from the original owner of the paintings, who received them directly from the artist. The 540-lot auction begins at 10 a.m. Eastern. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet Live bidding.
“These are the best examples of 20th century Chinese painting that I have seen in the last few years. I am very glad to have the opportunity to sell them.” Bob Yang, head appraiser of Kaminski Auctions’ fine Asian art and antiques department.
The artist, Fu Baoshi, was born in Jiangxi Province, China in 1904 and trained at the School of Fine Arts in Tokyo, Japan before returning to China in 1935 to teach at the art department at Central University in Nanjing. The paintings are dated the summer of 1945 and were executed at Chengdu, China, the temporary capitol established by the Chinese Nationalist Party. Fu’s choice of subject matter for these two paintings could be interpreted as his expression of relief that the second Sino-Japanese war had ended. He depicts a scholar able to appreciate and contemplate the great beauty of the Chinese natural landscape during a brief moment of peace.
Fu Baoshi’s painting style evolved over the course of his life from a more traditional style of Chinese painting toward his own unique style that incorporated impressionistic brushstrokes and atmospheric washes. Fu has since become renowned for both the detailed figurative and the sublime landscape details that these paintings exemplify. Still intact in their original wooden frames, the paintings were designed to fit inside them exactly, thus preserving an important piece of the history of Chinese painting.
The pair of paintings at Kaminski is expected to sell for between $200,000 and $400,000.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Fu Baoshi watercolor painting, China, 20th century, in original wood frame under glass, 17 1/4 inches x 26 inches. Kaminski Auctions image. Fu Baoshi watercolor painting, China, 20th century, in original wood frame under glass, 17 1/4 inches x 26 inches. Kaminski Auctions image.
