‘PEONY AND BEES’, BY FANG ZHAOLIN (1914-2006), DATED 1954China. Ink and watercolors on paper. Finely painted with a blossoming white peony borne on a leafy stem beside a rosebud borne on a thorned stem, all below three buzzing bees.Inscriptions: Lower left, signed ‘Zhaolin’, dated ‘in the Summer of the Year of Jiawu’ (corresponding to 1954), and inscribed ‘the first flower of the spring breeze’.Provenance: English trade. The back with an old label from Ryman & Co, which was founded in 1893 when Henry J Ryman opened his first store as a book printer on Great Portland Street, London, that is still open today.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and little soiling.Dimensions: Image size 55.3 x 35.2 cmMatted and framed. (2)Fang Zhaolin (1914-2006) was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in east China. She studied Chinese painting with several masters including Qian Songyan, the Lingnan School master, Zhao Shao’ang (1905-1998), and later with one of the most celebrated Chinese artists, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). In her forties, shepleted her university training in Hong Kong and then at Oxford. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Fang lived and traveled in Europe and America where she became knowledgeable about trends in modern Western painting. Her enduring passion was, however, the traditional Chinese style, rooted in national history and culture. The landscapes and the still lifes she painted were always depictions of home. She was fascinated by the simplicity of Han mural paintings and developed a distinctive style of her own in both figure paintings and in her landscapes which, from the 1970s, oftenbine calligraphic lines and forms to illustrate mountains and rocks instead of using the traditional method of ink strokes. Well into her 80s, Fang Zhaolin continued to rise early and paint for six to eight hours each day. Staying busy, she says, is the secret to long life. “If you are engaged and occupied with your work, you don't bother worrying about small problems. You don't dwell on things or let them bother you.”Expert’s note: The present painting is an early work by this artist before she had developed her own distinct style, and clearly shows the influence of Zhao Shao’ang, much like lot no. 200 in this sale.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s Paris, 13 June 2018, lot 41Price: EUR 5,000 or approx.EUR 5,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Fang Zhaolin (1914-2006), Bees and RosesExpert remark: Note the size (47 x 34 cm)方召麐《牡丹圖》，1954年中國，紙本水墨設色。精緻地繪有一朵盛開的白牡丹，它長在多葉的莖上，旁邊是一朵玫瑰花蕾，長在帶刺的莖上，下面是三隻嗡嗡作響的蜜蜂。款識：管領春風第一花，甲午仲夏之月召麐；鈴印：召麐