China. Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gilt on paper. Mounted as a hanging scroll, on a silk brocade coated paper frame with wooden handles. Superbly painted with the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, dressed in a diaphanous robe with one side falling down her shoulder as she coyly attempts to shield herself with a fan, her other hand holds a small flower, the face with delicate features framed by an elaborate chignon.

Inscriptions: Upper left, signed ‘Lu Xiaoman in Shanghai’, dated ‘in the Summer of Yishou’ (1945), and inscribed with a section of the poem The Song of Everlasting Regret by Bai Juyi (772-846). Two seals, ‘Lu Mei’ and ‘Xiaoman.’

Provenance: English trade.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, light stains, foxing, and browning of paper. The mounting in very good condition with usual traces of wear.

Dimensions: Image size 81 x 29.5 cm, Size incl. frame 197 x 49 cm

Yang Guifei (719-756), also known as Yang Yuhuan, known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. During the An Lushan Rebellion, as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu, the emperor's guards demanded that he put Yang to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to supervise her forced suicide. The Song of Everlasting Regret is a narrative poem by Bai Juyi (772-846) inspired by the love affair between Xuanzong and Lady Yang, detailing the events surrounding her death.

Lu Xiaoman (1903-1965), born in Shanghai, was a celebrated painter, writer, singer, and actor, and studied under painters such as Liu Haisu, Chen Banding, and He Tianjian. As an artist, she specialized in flowers, birds, and light ink landscapes on long Chinese scrolls. She was also known to write poetry, prose, and fiction, but her writings were never published. Nevertheless, her appreciation for poetry inspired her to create a series of ink paintings in honor of the Tang poet Du Fu. Lu Xiaoman was also a singer and debuted on stage after receiving training in the renowned Peking Opera. In the 1950s and 1960s, she worked as a paid artist at the Shanghai Academy of Chinese Painting.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2016, lot 1629
Price: HKD 118,750 or approx. EUR 16,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Lu Xiaoman (1903-1965), Lady holding flower
Expert remark: Note the size (53.5 x 29.5 cm)

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 29 September 2022, lot 212
Price: EUR 5,850 or approx. EUR 6,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: ‘Rhapsody on the Goddess’, by Lu Xiaoman, dated 1940
Expert remark: Note the similar size (94.5 x 28.9 cm).