Sotheby’s Hong Kong is to hold its 2007 autumn auction of fine Chinese paintings at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, October 6th 2007. Along with several rare artworks by great masters of the genre, there will be a special sale of “Important Chinese Paintings from the Robert Chang Collection”. Following the first sale from this collection totaling $38 million, Sotheby’s Hong Kong once again has the honour to offer for sale works from the legendary art dealer and collector Robert Chang, owner of ‘Yun Hai Ge’ studio. This group, including 46 lots estimated at over HK$40 million, illustrates the quality and incomparable connoisseurship of Chinese Paintings that Chang has attained. The collection features over 20 magnificent paintings by Qi Baishi – one of the greatest Chinese modern painters – in addition to works by six other renowned artists such as Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian and Lin Fengmian.The present example by Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Peaches and Fire Crackers (estimate upon request) is a traditional Sui Chao Tu “Spring Festival painting” which was commonly painted as a blessing token by Chinese ink painters. This classic Sui Chao Tu by Qi was executed in the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in 1952, dedicated to the artist’s friend and a sincere fan of his art, Yang Hu. The large scale piece depicts the auspicious objects in an unconstrained manner. A row of fire-crackers juxtaposes the blooming peony while a pair of peaches, symbolizing longevity, adorns the painting in a calculated yet spontaneous composition. The festive mood is further enhanced by a plethora contrasting shades of peony red enhancing the visual impact. The hanging red lantern at the back serves as the focal point of the painting, introducing a balancing rhythm to this horizontal landscape piece while denoting a bright future for the gift’s recipient.Another work on offer is Qi’s Rock and the Rising Sun (est. HK$1.2 – 1.5 million). Executed in 1934, Qi titled and dedicated the painting with the name of its recipient in mind making it truly one of a kind. The stark contrast between the fiery red of the rising sun and the imposing darkness of the emerging rock create strong visual imagery. The painting has been published extensively and boasts a rich provenance in both private hands and public organizations. This Qi Baishi painting, Nine Fish, (est. HK$600,000-800,000) is a classic opus by which the artist’s sentiments are visually rendered. Here, the “nine fish” (jiu yu) serve as a symbol for “nine satisfactions” (jiu ru), alluding to the smoothness in life’s endeavors. The painting vividly reflects the joy and satisfaction he derived from reading poems by a great Tang poet.Representations of the nine fish, in a variety of active swimming poses, mirror the private delight experienced by Qi Baishi when he created this painting. Qi’s paintings of fish are typically void of any backdrop, and the background of this work is also blank, which emphasizes the translucent images of fish in water. The brush strokes are practiced and fluid, with varying shades of ink for visual balance. Just a few lines are enough to describe the contentment the fish find in water. In this painting, eight fish are seen swimming in the same direction, while the tiny fish on the bottom left charts an opposite course. Though seemingly lost, this lone fish adds an amusing effect to the painting. Nine Fish was originally owned by a Malaysian-Chinese businessman Huang Jinling, an acquaintance of Xu Beihong and admirer of Qi Baishi’s works. It was perhaps through his connections with Xu that he acquired this piece. Crouching Lion (est. HK$1.8 - $2.5 million) by Xu Beihong (1895-1953), painted in 1935 in Nanjing, is another highlight in this portion of the sale. As a patriotic artist, Xu often portrayed animals for their symbolic qualities; the fierce lion, representing righteousness, triumphs over the evil embodied by the snake beneath it. Executed during a period of Anti-Japanese sentiment in China, Xu expressed his drastic dissent for the invaders through the use of symbolic imagery and the inscribed poem. Wu Changshuo’s (1844-1927) Two Cranes (pictured right; est. HK$ 1.8-2.3 million) was painted in 1915. Commissioned by a Japanese banker in Shanghai, this painting was meant as a gift for his father’s 60th birthday. Cranes were an unlikely subject for the artist and for this reason the painting is considered a rarity. Traditionally, the crane is considered a symbol of longevity, making this painting a loving and symbolic gift from a son to his father.Explanations of this auspicious symbol abound in a poetic inscription on the work. Reputed for his strong brushstrokes, the artist confers an overwhelming sense of power to this painting. Certain strokes are bold and heavy while others are light. But all the same, they create an impact. Central to the work are empty spaces and its calligraphic layout. Overall, it is a masterwork with both images and text combining congruently into one. After changing hands several times, it was acquired by Zhang Bojin, owner of the “Modang Xuan” studio, and exhibited at the Taipei National Museum of History in 1985. Another auction highlight is Boating (pictured on p.4; est. HK$400,000-600,000) by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). Presented to his friend Yu Hanqing, it was executed on July 29, 1937, a few weeks after the Japanese invaders marched into Beijing. At the time when the old capital city had fallen, the artist was held up at the Summer Palace. While others were fleeing in panic, he took the situation calmly. Even though his German friends offered to drive him to safety, Zhang Daqian preferred to remain on the site, where he proceeded to craft this painting on the specially-commissioned fan paper. In the process, green is applied on gold fan paper as a base colour to impart an impression of grandeur and elegance. Despite the painting’s overall misty quality, its delineation of a tiny cottage amid the woods of a mountain valley appears lucidly. The artist’s elegant brushstrokes convey a feeling of composure in stark contrast to the political upheaval confronting him. The work also bears the imprint of a seal rarely found in Zhang Daqian’s other paintings, with an inscription implying he could remain as calm and peaceful as the mountain during the storm, reflecting his inner tranquility in the face of adversity.