20th-Century Chinese School

20th-century Chinese school.
“Ladies in an Interior.”
Ink on paper.
Stamped in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 32.5 cm (diameter); 50.5 x 50.5 cm (frame).

The delicacy of the drawing and the refinement of the setting link this work to the Chinese pictorial tradition of depicting women in domestic and palatial settings. Adapted to a circular format, the composition features a reclining lady holding a fan and a second figure seated with her back to the viewer, surrounded by ornamental vessels, plants, and sinuous rocks. Fine lines define the faces, the elaborate hairstyles, and the folds of the garments, enriched with soft shades of green, blue, and pink. The asymmetrical arrangement of the elements and the large open areas of the paper lend a sense of lightness and focus the viewer’s attention on the intimacy of the scene. The objects and plant motifs help evoke an atmosphere of cultured leisure, characteristic of this repertoire of Chinese painting.