Orchid

ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983) Orchid Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on gold-flecked paper 29 x 59 cm. (11 3/8 x 23 1/4 in.) Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist NOTE: Unassuming in appearance but possessing a sweet fragrance, the orchid is regarded as a symbol of virtue, humility and modesty, qualities that a cultivated gentleman should have. In this work, Zhang's single, confident brushstrokes express both the firmness and flexibility of the leaves, the elegance of the simplicity of the orchid, created by contrasting an interplay between soft and angular strokes.