Sold for: $133,250

PROVENANCE
Acquired in Vancouver by a Private Collection, 1980s
By descent to the present Private Collection, Montreal

蒙特利尔私人收藏，1980年代入藏于温哥华，后由家族递藏

Each is finely painted with figures and landscapes in a famille rose palette. The first panel depicts a tranquil scene of “Zhu Li Jian Cha,” brewing tea amidst the bamboo, with a finely dressed scholar standing gracefully beneath the lush bamboo, while a female attendant kneels on the ground, preparing the tea. Signed Yishan Qiaozi Wang Dafan and inscribed with the title. The other panel features the tale of "Xi Shan Kua Hu," with the Daoist immortal Wu Cailuan and her husband moving ethereally through a mountainous landscape on the backs of tigers, journeying into the realm of immortality. Signed Yishan Dafan Wang Kun, dated to the fifth month of the wuchen cyclical year (1928), with the title inscribed. Each panel has a red artist seal, “Wang Kun hua yin” and "Kun."

Wang Dafan was a master porcelain painter and founding member of the Zhushan Bayou (Eight Friends of Zhushan), a group of Jingdezhen artists who led the influential reinterpretation and reinvigoration of famille rose porcelain painting during the Republican Period (1911–1949). Alongside fellow artists Wang Qi (1884–1937) and Wang Yeting (1884–1942), these avant-garde porcelain artists emphasized expressiveness in their works, incorporating the literati style of painting into China’s long history of porcelain design.

Among the Eight Friends, Wang Dafan was notable for his refined figural paintings shaped by his studies under the genre’s master, Wang Xiaotang (1885–1924). The present panels, painted in 1928 as the group were just beginning their activities, represent the pinnacle of his oeuvre. Brought to life with soft brushstrokes and meticulous detailing, the figures are rendered with gentle shading throughout their flowing gowns and solemn faces, accompanied by calligraphic signature and inscriptions reminiscent of the traditional literati paintings on paper.

One panel features literati refinement through an authentic method of tea brewing, while the other embraces Daoist transcendence through historical allusion. Together, they embody the intellectual and spiritual ideals of the time. Wang Dafan’s decision to depict both figures in “Xi Shan Kua Hu,” a subject often centered around the female immortal, not only reflects his confident mastery of figural painting, but also introduces a rare harmony into the composition. Artistically, culturally, and historically, these two works represent the height of literati porcelain painting during the mid-Republican Period. Please note: The dimensions listed are for each porcelain panel. The frames of the panels measure 40 x 10 1/8 inches each.

一屏绘高士携女侍竹里煎茶、幽篁掩映、极具文人雅趣之景。上题「竹里煎茶，黟山樵子王大凡画」，钦「王堃画印」。另一屏绘道家女吴彩鸾偕夫文萧跨虎入山，陟峰峦升仙之景。上题「西山跨虎，戊辰（1928）仲夏月黟山大凡王堃画」，钦「堃」字方印。

王大凡，名堃，号希平居士，又号黟山樵子，“珠山八友”之一，为景德镇瓷上丹青名家，与王琦 (1884-1937)、汪野亭 (1884-1942) 等同为民国时期 (1911-1949) 粉彩艺术革新之中坚，承传统文人画笔意，融诗书画印于瓷上，开一代新风。他师承民国侍女人物名家汪晓棠 (1885-1924)，在“八友”之中尤以人物绘事见长。其风格工致典雅，笔法婉转，设色柔和，意态生动。

此对瓷板作于1928年，正值“珠山八友”初立之年，堪称其画艺臻于成熟的典型之作。画中人物衣袂飘逸，神态静穆，笔意流畅。设题款识，尽显文人书画气韵。一屏绘高士竹里煎茶，雅趣盎然；另一屏则绘西山跨虎，道家登仙之境。儒道并呈，相映成趣，展现了极具文人性质的精神追求。而王大凡于“西山跨虎”这一多以女道吴彩鸾为主体的传统题材中，刻画其夫妇二人，既体现了他对人物画技法的娴熟自信，又赋作品以难得的和谐性。此二作于艺术、人文与历史价值上，皆可称民国文人瓷绘的一座高峰。

上述尺寸为瓷板大小，原框尺寸为 40 x 10 1/8 英寸。

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

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