Zhang Daqian, Peony

Zhang Daqian (1899, 1983) was one of the most celebrated and prolific Chinese painters of the twentieth century, renowned for his mastery of traditional ink painting as well as his later pioneering splashed-ink and splashed-color techniques. His depictions of peonies exemplify his command of both meticulous gongbi brushwork and expressive freehand xieyi styles, drawing on deep study of ancient masters including Tang and Song dynasty works. Highly sought after at international auction houses including Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams, his peony paintings consistently achieve multi-million dollar results and are considered among the finest examples of modern Chinese brush painting.