‘BIRD AND BAMBOO’, BY FANG ZHAOLIN (1914-2006)China, c. 1950-1970. Ink and watercolors on paper. Depicting a black bird perched on a branch, to its right with hanging bamboo leaves, finely painted in splashy ink washes alongside gestural brushwork, characteristic for the artist.Inscriptions: Lower right, signed ‘Zhaolin’, one seal ‘Fang shi’.Provenance: French trade, previously in an old British private collection.Condition: Presenting very well with some wear, little creasing, foxing, stains, and watermarks. Adhered to cardboard at two corners, backed by an old wooden board. The latter with some wear.Dimensions: Size incl. backing 62.6 x 52 cm, Image size 58 x 43.9 cmFang Zhaolin (1914-2006) was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in east China. She studied Chinese painting with several masters including Qian Songyan, the Lingnan School master, Zhao Shao’ang (1905-1998), and later with one of the most celebrated Chinese artists, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). In her forties, shepleted her university training in Hong Kong and then Oxford. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Fang lived and traveled in Europe and America where she became knowledgeable about trends in modern Western painting. Her enduring passion was, however, the traditional Chinese style, rooted in national history and culture. The landscapes and the still lifes she painted were always depictions of home. She was fascinated by the simplicity of Han mural paintings and developed a distinctive style of her own in both figure paintings and in her landscapes which, from the 1970s, oftenbine calligraphic lines and forms to illustrate mountains and rocks instead of using the traditional method of ink strokes.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: London, 23 September 2015, lot 145Price: GBP 4,375 or approx.EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Fang Zhaoling (sic) (1914-2006), Eight birds perched on bambooExpert remark:pare the related motif,position, brushwork, and size (60 x 45.5 cm)方召麐(1914-2006年)《鳥》中國，約作於1950 – 1970年間，紙本水墨設色。一隻黑鳥站在樹枝上，右側竹枝搖曳，筆觸灑脫清新。款識：召麐；鈴印：方氏。