Ink on paper, both mounted as hanging scrolls. Signed Ruan Yuan, with two artist’s seals. Each bearing a titleslip signed and sealed by Wang Yiling.

Please note: the dimensions listed are for each couplet.

Born in 1881, Mr. Wang Yiling (Wang Xiwen) (1881-1953) was a banker and director at the Kincheng Banking Corporation (Jincheng Yinhang) during the Republican Period (1911-1949). After returning from his studies in Japan, Wang began to hold important positions at major branches of the Kincheng Bank in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hankou. During this time, he built an important collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy with the help of his close friends - many of whom were 20th century Chinese painting masters themselves, including Zhang Daqian and Chen Banding. In his later years, Wang and his family settled in Hong Kong, where his art collection grew substantially in size and importance. After 1950, his descendants began emigrating to Brazil, Taiwan, and the United States, bringing with them their father's collection. While a major part of the family collection is currently preserved in the Shanghai Museum and Shanghai Library, more works associated with this collection have been spotted at auction in recent years. The present collection is the third part of the family collection Heffel represented in April 2024 and October 2025, which featured major Zhang Daqian scroll, Ming, Qing Dynasty fan paintings, and a Zhao Mengfu calligraphy album catalogued in Shiqu Baoji.