Lot 82: DUCKS

LIU YIKANG (1891-1975) DUCKS Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper Inscribed and signed "Liu Liping" by the artist, with two seals Dated spring, gengchen year (1940) Dedicated to Xiwen 41 x 17 in. (104 x 43 cm.)

104 x 43 cm.

This painting is part of a private collection that was acquired circa 1900-1960s and thence passed by descent to the present owner.

Born in a rural region of Guangdong province, Liu Yikang, who was also known as Liu Liping, began studying painting with Chen Zhuting at an early age and specialized in the genres of figures, flowers, and birds. Liu Yikang was one of the founders of Xinhua Fine Arts Academy in Fushan. Approaching art from a unique perspective, he believed that painting should be a harmonious blend of ancient styles and practices with modern expression. In 1937, he participated in the Shanghai Modern Painting Exhibition. The following year, he exhibited works at the Soviet Cultural Society, the United States Golden Gate Exposition, and at the Sino-French literary Society in Chongqing. In 1959, President Eisenhower commissioned a portrait from Liu Yikang during one of his visits to Hong Kong.