PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by Mr. Wong Sung Ki (1903-1969), 1939
By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto

Ink and colour on paper, mounted as a hanging scroll. Signed by Huang Binhong, dated jimao (1939), with an inscribed poem, a dedication to Wong Sung Ki, and three seals of the artist, "Huang Zhi si yin", "Pu ju shi", and "pian shi ju".

Born in Canton, China, Mr. WSK moved to Hong Kong in his early years, where he established an import-export business. Residing in Causeway Bay, he built a significant collection of Chinese paintings, acquiring works directly from renowned 20th-century masters, including Huang Binhong and Pu Ru (1896–1963). A Huang Binhong handscroll from the family collection, Qushui zhi bin, was sold for HKD $2,300,000 at China Guardian, Hong Kong, in 2014.

Huang Binhong is celebrated as one of the most influential Chinese landscape painters of the 20th century. Bridging the orthodox Song to Qing Dynasty landscape with contemporary artistic expression, Binhong underwent a major stylistic shift in his seventies and eighties. Evolving from traditional techniques, he embraced bold, expressive brushstrokes that emphasised the spontaneity of nature, inspiring generations of painters to explore greater freedom in their work. The present painting, executed when he was 74, stands at the peak of his career and at the turning point of his transformation, reflecting his deep connection to ancient masters while anticipating the later style now known as "the black Binhong."

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