'PEONIES AND BIRDS' BY ZHAO SHAO'ANG (1905-1988)Ink and watercolors on paper. Superbly painted with two small birds, one with the beak open as it caws, perched on a branch next to flowering peonies, executed with bold and vivid brushstrokes and an expressive composition of warm colors. Matted and framed behind glass.Inscriptions: Lower right, signed 'Shao'ang'. One seal, 'Zhao Shao'ang xi'.Provenance: Collection of Dr. Lubor H??jek (1921-2000) and thence by descent in the same family. A Czech private collection, acquired from the above in 2010. Dr. Lubor H??jek was a Czech art historian. In 1952 he founded the Oriental Art collection of the National Gallery Prague, which he ran until 1986.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and traces of use.Dimensions: Size incl. frame 56.2 x 75.3 cm, Image size 45 x 64 cmZhao Shao'ang (1905-1988) is considered one of the Four Great Masters of the Lingnan School. In the late 19th century, scholars in China broke through entrenched conservative thought schools and began to create and promote new styles of art. This not only cultivated ideological progress within social elites but also gave birth to the eclectic fusion of the Han Chinese and Western styles, as advocated by the Lingnan School, which today is considered - along with the Beijing and Shanghai schools - as one of the three pillars of modern Chinese painting.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related hanging scroll of the same subject by the same artist (45 x 96 cm) at Christie's Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings on 1 December 2020, lot 1058, sold for HKD 275,000, and a closely related painting of the same subject by the same artist (58.5 x 93.8 cm) at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Paintings on 3 April 2012, lot 1175, sold for HKD 860,000.趙少昂 (1905-1988) 《 牡丹富貴》鏡心紙本設色。富貴牡丹圖,一對小鳥站于枝頭,大胆生动的笔触,色彩純净艷麗卻不俗,鏡心。装在玻璃后面。 款識:右下角落款 “少昂“;一枚鈴印”趙少昂鉩“ 來源:Lubor H??jek博士(1921-2000)收藏,自此在同一家族收藏。捷克的私人收藏,于2010年从上述收藏購得。Lubor H??jek博士是捷克艺术史学家。 1952年,他创立了布拉格国家美术馆的东方艺术收藏,一直到1986年。 圖片:Dr. Lubor H??jek (1921-2000) 1978年在捷克布拉斯拉夫 品相:状况极佳,有轻微磨损和使用痕迹。 尺寸:含框 56.2 x 75.3 厘米, 畫面45 x 64 厘米 拍賣結果:一件趙少昂同一主題的挂軸 (45 x 96 厘米) 見香港佳士得Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings拍場2020年12月1日 lot 1058, 售價HKD 275,000, ;另一幅 (58.5 x 93.8 厘米) 見香港蘇富比Fine Chinese Paintings 拍場2012年4月3 日 lot 1175, 售價HKD 860,000.