Bidspirit auction | Symbols of Fertility and Longevity

Symbols of Fertility and Longevity on Fan Mount,by Wu Qingxia - Wu Qingxia (1910–2008), also named Deshu, with art names Longcheng Nüshi (Gentlewoman of Dragon City) and Zhuanxiangge Zhu (Master of Seal-Scent Studio), was a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu. A renowned female painter in modern Chinese art, she excelled in detailed brushwork (工笔) depicting fish and aquatic plants, wild geese, beautiful women, as well as landscapes. She was an important representative of the “Shanghai School” (海派) of painting and was affectionately known as “Wu of the Carps” (鲤鱼吴). Wu Qingxia’s artistic achievements are comprehensive and refined. She began painting as a child, showing exceptional talent across landscapes, bird-and-flower subjects, and figure painting. She was most famous for her carp—vivid and spirited, rendered with a masterful combination of ink and color that captures the texture of the fish and the shimmer of water, creating a unique and recognizable style. Her paintings of reeds and wild geese are free and lyrical, evoking a sense of vast natural freedom, while her ladies are elegantly detailed, blending classical charm from the Tang and Song dynasties with modern aesthetics. She carried on the tradition of the Shanghai School, integrating northern China’s realism with the moist elegance of southern styles. Her use of color was bright yet refined, and her compositions were clever and full of vitality. In her later years, her work became more simplified and powerful. As an outstanding female artist of 20th-century China, Wu Qingxia, with her sustained creativity and distinct personal style, made significant contributions to the inheritance and innovation of Chinese painting.