拍品专文
The pine tree is a symbol for longevity and virtue in Chinese culture, and is often painted by artists as a birthday gift to a friend or a patron. Li Keran writes in the inscription that this work was created to celebrate I.M. Pei’s 62nd birthday on April 26th, 1979, possibly during one of his stays in Beijing, when he was working on the ground-breaking Fragrant Hill Hotel. Here, thick and dense washes of ink are layered to depict the heavy foliage, punctured by energetic, calligraphic brushstrokes that represent the branches, an experimental technique favoured by the artist.