翰墨丹青—中國書畫專場 Refined Brushwork: Fine Chinese Paintings

Lin Zexu (1785-1850) was a respected figure in Chinese history. He was a
political figure in Mid-/Late-Qing dynasty, an advocate, a calligrapher and a
poet. Born in Fujian province, Lin was a viceroy of Huguang, Shangan and
Yungui and was renowned for his campaign to suppress opium consumption.
LIN Zexu (1785-1850)
As a respected literati, Lin was lauded for his running and cursive script, which
took reference from a famous Buddhist scripture by Wang Xizhi. His calligraphy
was precise and powerful in the application of brushwork. Guo Boyin once
said, Calligraphy is priced for the concrete brushstroke, the saturation of
ink. Such calligraphy heavily demands the technique of the wrists and intense
concentration of the calligrapher. Any defect would fail the whole work.
Lin was persistent in his calligraphy practices, taking references from traditional
old masters. In this work (Lot 621), each brushstroke was acclaimed to
have carried the preciseness of Jin masters, the spirit of Tang masters, the
generous strokes of Su Dongbo, the bold strokes of Nangong and the candid
strokes of Zhaodong.
The four panels has two collectors's seals, namely Xiao Fuzheng and Lin
Sen. Xiao Fuzheng (1866-1921) was a wealthy businessman in Late Qing
dynasty with a vast collection of Chinese paintings. Lin Sen (1868-1943)
was a renowned political figure, elected as the President of the Nationalist
Government in 1931.
It was known in 1926, the vast collection of Xiao was looted and sold in a
bookstore. It was estimated that Lin Sen later acquired the four works and
passed on to other collectors.
LIN Sen (1868-1943)