Detail: Seven rare Chinese paintings will be offered by Eskenazi, one of the world’s leading dealers in Chinese works of art, at 10 Clifford Street, London, from Thursday 29 October to Friday 27 November 2009 to coincide with the 12th staging of Asian Art in London, 29 October to 7 November. The unparalleled expertise on Asian art to be found in London is demonstrated during this annual event when top dealers, auction houses, museums and institutions present exhibitions, auctions, lectures and gallery talks that attract visitors from around the world.
Giuseppe Eskenazi has always had a personal interest in this rarified aspect of Chinese art and acquired the seven paintings over a period of 25 years. This is the first time they have been shown in public by the gallery, which is more associated with other aspects of Chinese art such as bronzes, sculpture and imperial porcelain. The paintings range in date from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and all but one, which is on paper, are painted on silk. The quality of the silk is indicated by the tightness of the weave and reflects the status of the artist and his patron. Such delicate works of art are rare survivals and do not often appear on the market. The finest collection in the world is in the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
The Chinese particularly prized painting and calligraphy for its intellectual, documentary and poetic content. All but one of the present paintings bear seals of artists or collectors. Of the seven works, five are album leaves, one is a fan painting, and one is a handscroll. Unlike most Western paintings, they would not have been on permanent display but examined and admired in private, perhaps with a particular friend or on some auspicious occasion.