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Lot Essay
Painted in the winter of xinsi year (1941),@Zhang Daqian's Flying Deity forms part of the 276 fragments of murals that Zhang painted during his time in Dunhuang, where he remained from May 1941 until the end of 1943.
Flying Deity embodies both solemnity and radiance, and is a work of art rather than a religious painting for veneration. Zhang's faith in aestheticism is attested by his statement that "the chief objective of painting is to express beauty"- while his training reflected his determination to accurately depict Buddhist portraits, his essential goal was to learn to express emotion and create a 'grand composition' in figure painting.
With fluent and vigorous outlines, the deity's face is serene, with an elegant topknot adorned with jewels enhancing the mood of tranquility. In contrast, the swirling and looping streamers are animated and dynamic, giving movement to a beautifully contoured body gliding through the clouds.
Flying Deity embodies both solemnity and radiance, and is a work of art rather than a religious painting for veneration. Zhang's faith in aestheticism is attested by his statement that "the chief objective of painting is to express beauty"- while his training reflected his determination to accurately depict Buddhist portraits, his essential goal was to learn to express emotion and create a 'grand composition' in figure painting.
With fluent and vigorous outlines, the deity's face is serene, with an elegant topknot adorned with jewels enhancing the mood of tranquility. In contrast, the swirling and looping streamers are animated and dynamic, giving movement to a beautifully contoured body gliding through the clouds.