QIAN SONGYAN (1899-1985) Titled 'A small scene from Jiangnan' (Jiangnan xiaojing). Watercolors and black ink on paper. Signed 'Qian Songyan painted in Nanjing' on left side in black ink. Red seal 'Qian'. Condition: Superb condition with one minor crease to upper left corner. Laid down on paper. Provenance: Old German private collection. Sold via auction at Zacke Galleries in 2012. A Swedish private collection. Dimensions: The mounting 45 x 57 cm, the image 25.7 x 39 cm. A rising black mountain with a pagoda at its peak and a temple at the bottom, in the background a lake with boats in an autumnal landscape. Drawn in red-brown, blue, celadon and black ink, we discover a vivid scenery, strongly impressive and in stark contrast to the background. Qian Songyan was one of the most important painters in modern China. His works are found in collections of many western museums, for example the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 2012, the Art Museum of Beijing's Fine Art Academy presented a major solo exhibition with paintings by Qian.