'RHAPSODY ON THE GODDESS' BY LU XIAOMAN, DATED 1940 China. Ink and watercolors on paper, with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll. Superbly painted with a beautiful lady dressed in elegant robes tied at the waist, a pink flower in her hair, the face with delicate features displaying a gentle 'Mona Lisa' smile.

Inscriptions: The upper right inscribed with a section of the poem 'Rhapsody on the Goddess' by Song Yu, dated 'February in the Spring of the Year of Gengchen' (1940), signed 'Xiaoman Lu Mei painted in Shanghai', two seals, 'Lu Mei' and 'Xiaoman'

Provenance: British trade.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few creases, and foxing.

Dimensions: Image size 94.5 x 28.9 cm, Size incl. mounting 199.2 x 44.1 cm

'Rhapsody on the Goddess', traditionally attributed to Song Yu (c. 290-223 BC), is one of the most famous and likely the earliest work that describes encounters between a mortal and a goddess, exerting great influence over various genres of Chinese literature in later times.

Lu Xiaoman (1903-1965), born in Shanghai, was a celebrated painter, writer, singer, and actor, and studied under painters such as Liu Haisu, Chen Banding, and He Tianjian. As an artist, she specialized in flowers, birds, and light ink landscapes on long Chinese scrolls. She was also known to write poetry, prose, and fiction, but her writings were never published. Nevertheless, her appreciation for poetry inspired her to create a series of ink paintings in honor of the Tang poet Du Fu. Lu Xiaoman was also a singer and debuted on stage after receiving training in the renowned Peking Opera. In the 1950s and 1960s, she worked as a paid artist at the Shanghai Academy of Chinese Painting.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2016, lot 1629
Price: HKD 118,750 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Lu Xiaoman (1903-1965), Lady holding flower
Expert remark: Note the size (53.5 x 29.5 cm)



陸小曼款《神女圖》，1940年
中國，紙本設色，掛軸。兩手置於身後，一手持書卷，衣帶隨風飄舉，華貴高雅。宋玉《神女賦》節選。

款識：夫何神女之姣麗兮，含陰陽之渥飾。披華藻之可好兮，若翡翠之奮翼。其象無雙，其美無極；毛嬙鄣袂，不足程式；西施掩面，比之無色。近之既妖，遠之有望，骨法多奇，應君之相，視之盈目，孰者克尚。私心獨悅，樂之無量；交希恩疏，不可盡暢。他人莫睹，玉覽其狀。其狀峨峨，何可極言。貌豐盈以莊姝兮，苞溫潤之玉顏。眸子炯其精朗兮，瞭多美而可視。眉聯娟以蛾揚兮，朱唇的其若丹。素質乾之實兮，志解泰而體閑。既姽嫿於幽靜兮，又婆娑乎人間。宜高殿以廣意兮，翼故縱而綽寬。動霧以徐步兮，拂聲之珊珊。望餘帷而延視兮，若流波之將瀾。奮長袖以正衽兮，立躑躅而不安。澹清靜其兮，性沉詳而不煩。時容與以微動兮，志未可乎得原。庚辰春二月小曼陸眉畫于海上曼盧。
鈴印：陸眉，小曼

來源：英國古玩交易。
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損和摺痕、褐變。

尺寸：畫面94.5 x 28.9 厘米，總199.2 x 44.1 厘米

《神女賦》是戰國時期辭賦家宋玉創作的一篇描寫神女的賦，詞句優美形象，在中國文學史上留下了極深的影響。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2016年5月30日，lot 1629
價格：HKD 118,750（相當於今日EUR 16,500）
描述：陸小曼執花仕女設色絹本鏡框
專家評論：請注意尺寸(53.5 x 29.5 厘米)。