BIAN SHOUMIN (1684-1752): ‘WILD GEESE IN REED... Lot n° 192

BIAN SHOUMIN (1684-1752): ‘WILD GEESE IN REEDS’ China, 18th century. Ink and watercolors on paper, framed. Depicting a pair of wild geese among tall overgrown reeds. Inscriptions: To the top-left, inscribed with a poem, signed ‘Cuoweng Bian Shoumin’, and sealed ‘Yigong’. Provenance: From the private collection of Cheng Bao-nan, Taiwan, and thence by descent. Condition: Presenting very well, shows wear, creasing, tears and material loss with associated touch-ups. Dimensions: Image size 114 x 46 cm, Size incl. frame 143 x 56.3 cm Bian Shoumin (1684-1752) was a renowned Chinese painter during the Qing dynasty. He lived through the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors. He was a native of Shangyang, present-day Huai’an, and became one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, a group of Chinese painters known for rejecting the orthodox painting methods in favor of a style deemed expressive and individualist. He was famous for his paintings of wild geese, the style of which bears his name, Bianyan (‘Bian geese’). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2016, lot 352 Price: HKD 1,000,000 or approx. EUR 138,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Bian Shoumin (1684-1752), Geese in Winter Reeds Expert remark: Note the size (167.5 x 74 cm).