‘BUDDHA AMITABHA’, BY ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983) China. Ink, gilt, and watercolors on silk. Superbly painted with Buddha Amitabha seated in dhyanasana on a lotus throne, with each of the overlapping petals showing the Three Jewels. He is wearing a loose-fitting monastic robe decorated with flowerheads and a broad waistband with lotus scroll. His chest is marked with a wan symbol. The serene face with a fine expression. All within a roundel above swirling clouds and below lotus blossoms falling from the sky.

Inscriptions: Signed ‘Zhang Daqian’. Dedicated to a ‘follower from Luojun'. Dated ‘Summer of the Year of Bingxu’ (corresponding to 1946). Three seals of the artist.

Provenance: UK trade, by repute acquired from a British private collection.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, soiling, distinct foxing and minimal losses. With a Japanese silk brocade mounting and a kiri (paulownia) wood frame. The backside with a Japanese paper mounting that shows significant tears and losses.

Dimensions: Image size 61 x 24.5 cm, Size incl. frame 79 x 39.2 cm

Zhang Daqian was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a guohua (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter. In addition, he is regarded as one of the most gifted master forgers of the twentieth century. After the Communist Revolution in 1949, he left China and spent years living in South and North America, extensively touring Northern California. Zhang’s first California solo exhibition in 1967 at Stanford University attracted an opening reception crowd of a thousand. Finally, he settled in Taipei, Taiwan in 1978. During his years of wandering, he had several wives simultaneously, curried favor with influential people, and maintained a large entourage of relatives and supporters. He also kept a pet gibbon. He affected the long robe and long beard of a traditional Chinese scholar.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related painting by Zhang Daqian, depicting a bodhisattva and consort, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Paintings on 11 October 2021, lot 3094, sold for HKD 945,000. Compare a related painting by Zhang Daqian, also dated 1946 by inscription and depicting Buddha Amitabha, albeit in a slightly different manner inspired by the Mogao caves, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Modern Paintings on 2 June 2015, lot 1529, sold for HKD 5,440,000. Compare a related painting by Zhang Daqian, depicting Buddha and bodhisattvas, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Modern Paintings on 30 November 2010, lot 2642, sold for HKD 2,780,000.

張大千(1899-1983) 《阿彌陀佛像》
中國。絹本水墨設色，繪製阿彌陀佛坐蓮像，每瓣蓮瓣皆可見三寶。他身著寬鬆的袈裟，衣紋綫條流暢，胸口可見萬字元，面部表情平靜細膩， 身後有光背，下方可見如意祥雲。

款識：擬清人丁觀鵬佛造像，嵗在丙戌夏日，羅郡清信弟子大千張爰敬造
鈴印：大千毫髮，張大千，星閣

來源：英國古玩市場，據説來自英國私人收藏。
品相：狀況良好，磨損、汙漬、明顯的修補和輕微缺損。日本絲織錦裝裱和桐木框架。背面有日本紙裝裱，明顯的撕裂和缺損。

尺寸：畫面61 x 24.5 厘米，總 79 x39.2 厘米

張大千是二十世紀最著名、最傑出的中國藝術家之一，國畫大師。到1960年代，他也以現代印象派和表現主義而聞名。1949 年共產主義革命後，他離開中國，在南美洲和北美洲生活了數年，並在北加州進行了廣泛的巡迴展出。1967 年，張大千在斯坦福大學的第一次加州個展開幕式吸引了1000多名觀眾。他於1978年定居臺北。在流浪的歲月裡，他同時娶了幾個妻子，結交重要人物，周圍一大群親戚和支持者。 他還養了一隻寵物長臂猿。 他一直深受中國傳統文人影響，喜著長袍留長鬚。

拍賣結果比較：比較一件張大千的《菩薩像》，見香港蘇富比Fine Chinese Paintings 2021年10月 11日 lot 3094, 售價HKD 945,000。比較一件1946年的張大千《莫高窟釋迦牟尼像》，見香港佳士得Fine Chinese Modern Paintings 2015年6月2日 lot 1529, 售價HKD 5,440,000。比較另一件張大千《菩薩像》，見香港佳士得Fine Chinese Modern Paintings 2010年11月30日 lot 2642, 售價HKD 2,780,000。