Xicha’an - The Studio of Appreciating Tea

Yang Zuofu originally commissioned Huang Binhong to paint a vertical landscape entitled his studio name Xicha’an (the painting is illustrated in Paintings by Huang Binhong, Ta Kung Po, Hong Kong, May 1961, p. 42). After completing the hanging scroll, the artist further painted a handscroll and gifted to Yang, which is the current lot. The artist, however, had1135 a different idea and returned with a handscroll. Yang travelled to many well-known mountains and natural scenes throughout his life. He once lived in Mount Huang for several months, retreating to study poems and appreciate tea. This handscroll depicts exactly his life on Mount Huang: in the backdrop of rugged mountains and lofty trees is a tranquil thatched hut, where books are stacked on the desk, tea is brewing, and the master of the studio is looking out, feeling pleased and content. Such a state of being was Yang’s spiritual pursuit. When the art circle in Northern China ostracized Huang Binhong, he found refuge in collectors in Hong Kong who appreciated his artistic sensibilities. To express his gratitude, Huang was incredibly thoughtful when he received commissions from these collectors. The result was numerous important Huang Binhong collections in Southern China and Hong Kong, such as the collections of Huang Juxu, Tang Tianru, Liu Junliang and Wu Ming. Xicha’an is also a prime example of this crucial artistic exchange.
Since Yang Zuofu received this painting in 1939, he invited many art and literary figures to inscribe on the colophon between 1940 and 1961. Huang Juxu warmly inscribed five times from 1944, expressing his admiration for Huang Binhong’s art and his friendship with Yang Zuofu. The present lot, kept in a pristine condition through the war and political turmoil, is the witness to the fateful solidarity built between Huang Binhong and the art circle of Hong Kong and Macau.