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Lot Essay
The recipient of this painting is Chen Chie Yuan, an overseas Chinese shipping tycoon in the United States. Born in Shanghai in 1920, Chen graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in Mechanical Engineering, and received his doctorate from Purdue University. The Chen family was very prominent in China. Chen’s great grandmother was the sister of Sheng Xuanhuai, Qing dynasty Chinese tycoon and politician. Chen’s great-uncle was Cai Yuanpei, educator and politician who served as the president of Peking University. Chen followed his family traditions after he moved to the United States, and acquired and led a major shipping company, the Marine Transport Line, and became a pivotal figure in the American shipping industry.