Only Chinese version is available
Mandarin ducks
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Artist
Chao Shao-an
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Year
1968
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Media
Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
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Dimensions
184.5 x 96 cm
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Museum No.
HM1994.108.6
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Artist Bio
Chao Shao-an (1905 – 1998), a native of Panyu, Guangdong province. He studied painting at the Gao Qifeng (1889 – 1933) Private College of Art. In 1930, he founded the Lingnan Art Studio in Guangzhou. In 1948, Chao settled in Hong Kong and re-established the Lingnan Art Studio to teach students. He excelled in painting landscapes, animals, flowers, insects and fish, and was particularly noted for painting cicadas. Chao is a representative painter of the second-generation artists of the Lingnan School. His works are widely exhibited in Hong Kong and overseas. He was awarded Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Hong Kong (1994).
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Description
The colourful male mandarin duck is unique in its shape and hue among waterfowls. The two pairs of mandarin ducks in the painting are portrayed in different poses, with varied brush strokes to bring out the diverse types of feathers. The beautiful birds are then placed among the water weeds, the concentrated grouping of birds contrasting with the sparse weeds. The artist then integrates the contrasting elements with light washes, resulting in a harmonious entirety.
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—Collection of Hong Kong Heritage Museum, donated by Professor Chao Shao-an
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