‘SCHOLARS ON A BOAT’, BY FU BAOSHI (1904-1965), DATED 1962Ink and watercolors on paper, laid down on paper. Superbly painted in the artist’s characteristic style, mostly eschewing outlines in his dappling of the brush and ink washes while still meticulously rendering each element with distinctive purpose. Depicting two scholars seated in a boat, two fishing baskets at their side, floating along a calm stream below thick clouds, the riverbank with leafy and barren trees.Inscriptions: Upper right, ‘View in the country, painted by Baoshi in Nanjing in May of the Year of Renyin (corresponding to 1962)’.Provenance: West Berkshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.Condition: Some wear and minor soiling, losses, creasing. The paper with areas of minor corrugation. The mounting with creasing and small tears to edges.Dimensions: Image size 32.4 x 34 cm, Size incl. mounting 40 x 52 cmFu Baoshi (1904-1965) was a Chinese painter from Xinyu, Jiangxi Province. Credited with revolutionizing Chinese ink painting, Fu is perhaps the most original figure painter and landscapist of China's modern period, and one of the most important artists of the 20th century overall. In 1933, Fu went to Japan to study the History of Oriental Art at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. After returning to China, he taught in the Art Department of Central University (today Nanjing University). At this time, Fu developed a new style, smoothly incorporating foreign ideas and techniques, and began creating boldly individualistic yet sometimes strongly nationalistic work. He also sought to revive early schools of realist depiction that made greater use of color and ink wash. His most important and acclaimed works of landscape painting employed skillful use of inking methods, such as washing, rubbing or dotting, creating a distinct style that epasses a sheerly enormous range of varieties, but all within strict traditional rules. His detailed paintings of miniature figures remain unmatched to this day, due to his remarkably delicate and thus inimitable brushstrokes.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 December 2020, lot 1065Price: HKD 8,650,000 or approx.EUR 1,051,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Returning BoatExpert remark: Note the much larger size (61.2 x 49.7 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2014, lot 1608Price: HKD 3,640,000 or approx.EUR 521,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Scholar Resting on a BoatExpert remark: Note the larger size (53 x 49.2 cm).傅抱石款《郊外所見》，1962年紙本水墨設色。兩位文人坐在船上垂釣，興致正濃，身後有漁簍，順著平靜的溪流漂浮著。河岸上綠樹成蔭。意境蕭疏。構圖不求滿密，乾淨利索，取得了形簡意賅的藝術效果。款識：郊外所見，抱石記于南京壬寅五月；鈴印：抱石之作