Lady in Indian Dress

Liu Liangnian was born in Fujian in 1905. He attended Ying Wah College in 1920 and later worked at the Shanghai Customs. There, Liu befriended many artists including Wu Hufan, Zhang Shanzi, Zhang Daqian, Ye Gongchuo and the Gao brothers, Jianfu and Qifeng. During the war, he moved to Chengdu where many others also sought refuge. He became acquainted with artists such as Huang Junbi, Zhao Shao’ang, Guan Shanyue, Li Xiongcai and Yu Youren. In 1946, Liu was transferred to the Gongbei Customs in Zhuhai and lived in Macau. In 1952, Liu left with his family to live in North Point, Hong Kong. He ran a trading business and spent his spare time on the arts, arranging dinners, meetings and exhibitions for artists. After he retired, Liu further expanded his collection of paintings, works of art and stamps. He also wrote poetry, some of which was published. His close relationship with the artists saw his son, Liu Jijian as a favoured godson to Huang Junbi.

In 1950, with the assistance of Luo Jialun, Zhang Daqian held an exhibition in New Delhi, India. He was attracted by the scenery of Darjeeling and decided to stay there for a while. He looked upon the period as having brought a tone of exuberance to his work. This painting was completed in the autumn of 1950 in Darjeeling. The unique Indian silk of the lady’s dress was so fine, it was said that it could pass through a ring, and even when folded into seven layers, the skin was still visible through the silk.