Lot 447: Pan Zhenyong (1852-1921) Beauties of the Four

Pan Zhenyong (1852-1921) Beauties of the Four Seasons set of four hanging scrolls signed 'Yashen Pan Zhenyong' bear's artist's seal twice (each) ink and watercolour 125 x 33 cm (each) Provenance: Private collection China Private collection Melbourne In traditional Chinese painting court beauties were often painted in garden settings standing in reflective poses with their heads lightly tilted to one side. Classically these works were accepted as mildly erotic romantic illustrations capturing a scene when a lady#s lover was absent and she is pining away for her sweetheart - her "thoughts turn[ed] to amorous reverie daydream fantasy and [...] brooding." Fine examples of this may be reflected in this lovely set of four hanging scrolls by the artist Pan Zhenyong depicting four separate scenes of a contemplative palace beauty and her attendant in different garden surrounds each with an inscription. The four scrolls have been painted to represent the individual seasons which has great importance in Chinese culture. Dated to the 9th month of 1919 these works are a very fine example of the artist#s celebrated talents as a figure painter and calligrapher. Pan Zhenyong has painted these works in the style of the Qing Dynasty figure painter Gai Qi (1774-1829). Reference: Banhart R. et al 1997 Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting Yale University Press US pp. 292-3 Laing E.J. 1996 'Erotic Themes and Romantic Heroines' Archives of Asian Art Vol. XLIX pp. 68 Leonard Joel would like to thank Sally Robin for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.