Woodpecker on pine trunk, painting on paper, signed Zhang Daqian (張大千, Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1982), dated 乙已 (yisi, corresponding to the year of the wood snake, 1965), bearing a dedication to Li Ai Vee (李爱维, 1932-2021), signed 爰 (Yuan, Zhang Daqian's original name), with seal 大千居士 (Daqian jushi), 67.5x30.5 cm This painting is reproduced in LI Ai Vee, Bambus im Wind, Mein dreifacher Weg als Malerin, Stäfa, Rothenhäusler Verlag, 1999, p. 267 Provenance: Li Ai Vee collection (1932-2021), former student of Zhang Daqian. Chalet Yu-Lan Bird on a pine trunk, painting on paper, signed Zhang Daqian (張大千, Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1982), dated 乙已 (yisi, corresponding to the year of the wooden snake, 1965), bearing a dedication to Li Ai Vee (李爱维, 1932-2021), signed 爰 (Yuan, Zhang Daqian's original name), with seal 大千居士 (Daqian jushi), 67.5x30.5 cm This painting is reproduced in LI Ai Vee, Bambus im Wind, Mein dreifacher Weg als Malerin, Stäfa, Rothenhäusler Verlag, 1999, p. 267 Provenance: collection of Li Ai Vee (1932-2021), former student of Zhang Daqian, Yu-Lan chalet 松樹幹上的啄木鳥，紙本設色，67.5x30.5 厘米 張大千（1899-1982)署名 乙巳年 (1965) 題贈李愛薇 爰署名 大千居士鈐印 來自李愛維收藏 (1932-2021), 玉蘭木屋 General surface wear Please note that the painting is not framed Total dimensions: 80x40,5 cm Overall wear to the surface Please note that the painting is not framed Total dimensions: 80x40.5 cm Li Ai Vee Collection (last part) The Maison Piguet is honoured to present the last part of the collection of Madame Li Ai Vee (李爱维, born Eva Anita Li, 1932-2021), a Sino-German painter living in Switzerland and a fervent collector of Asian art, mainly Chinese and Japanese. This prestigious collection was on display in Blonay, in her chalet "Yu-Lan" (玉蘭, "Magnolia"). Some very fine pieces were sold last September and December, including two albums by his master painter Zhang Daqian, which fetched CHF 460,000. Lots 1957 and 1958 are two other works by Zhang Daqian auctioned as part of this collection. Lots 1957 to 2044 are part of this collection. The entire collection can be found by entering the keyword "Li Ai Vee" in the search bar on our website and scanning the QR code in the printed catalogue. All the lots marked in purple in the printed catalogue come from this collection. Two paintings by Zhang Daqian Zhang Daqian (張大千, Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1983), one of the most renowned Chinese painters of the twentieth century, mastered the thousand and one subtleties of ink painting, bringing a breath of fresh air to a medium that had been rooted in Chinese tradition for over two thousand years. Over the course of a prolific and eclectic career spanning more than sixty years, this internationally acclaimed artist produced more than five hundred paintings a year, the most famous being his landscape paintings in "splattered ink" (pocai), verging on abstraction. He was the subject of numerous international exhibitions during his lifetime, and some of his works are held in renowned institutions such as the Musée Cernuschi in Paris, the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2011, Zhang Daqian even became the most expensive artist sold at auction in the world that year, surpassing Pablo Picasso. In addition to his career as a painter, Zhang Daqian was also a great art collector and connoisseur. Having travelled extensively around the world, Zhang Daqian visited Switzerland in particular during the second half of the 1950s and the 1960s. It was there in 1965 that he met Li Ai Vee, who became his pupil. The two paintings we are presenting were produced in 1965 and bear a dedication to Li Ai Vee. The theme of birds, which Zhang Daqian explored throughout his career, is part of the classical tradition of Chinese scholarly painting. Perched on a pine trunk or perched on a rock, Zhang Daqian's solitary birds are sketched in a few brushstrokes, combining spontaneity of gesture with rigour of composition. These paintings, in which emptiness and fullness subtly intertwine, invite contemplation. The collection of Li Ai Vee Piguet auction house is honoured to present the last part of the collection of Li Ai Vee (李爱维, born Eva Anita Li, 1932-2021), a Chinese-German painter living in Switzerland and a fervent collector of Asian art, mainly Chinese and Japanese. Born in Shanghai, Li Ai Vee was introduced to painting as a child by her mother, herself an artist, and went on to become a pupil of prestigious painters such as Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) and Lu Yifei (1908-1997) in the 1950s. She then spent several years in Japan, where she was a disciple of the Zen master Rinzai Yamada Mumon Rôshi (1900-1988). There, in 1954, she was selected to paint several bamboos on the sliding doors of the Hiroshima Memorial. In 1958, Li Ai Vee left China and settled in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1965, she met Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-Chien, 1899-1983), and became a pupil of this internationally renowned painter. That same year, she was awarded the Medal of the City of Paris in recognition of her art. In 1973, Li Ai Vee moved to Blonay to the chalet 'Yu-Lan' (玉蘭, 'Magnolia'), surrounded by a vast bamboo forest and guarded by carved Foo lions. It was there that she painted, surrounded by her extensive collection of Asian art, which she has enriched over the years. Li Ai Vee has put together a rich and varied collection of objects, combining monochrome vases, paintings and albums, scholarly objects, carved jades and divinities from the Asian pantheon, all of which she has combined with her passion for art. The entire collection can be found by entering the keyword 'Li Ai Vee' in the search bar on our website. Two paintings by Zhang Daqian Zhang Daqian (張大千, Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1983), one of the most renowned Chinese painters of the 20th century, masterfully handled the myriad subtleties of ink painting, breathing new life into a medium deeply rooted in over two thousand years of Chinese tradition. Over the course of a prolific and eclectic career spanning more than sixty years, this internationally acclaimed artist produced over five hundred paintings per year, with his most celebrated works being his splash ink landscapes (pocai), which verge on abstraction. Numerous international exhibitions were devoted to him during his lifetime, and his works are held in prestigious institutions such as the Cernuschi Museum in Paris, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2011, Zhang Daqian even became the highest-grossing artist at auction worldwide, surpassing Pablo Picasso. In addition to his painting career, Zhang Daqian was also a distinguished collector and connoisseur of art. A tireless traveler, Zhang Daqian visited many corners of the world, including Switzerland during the late 1950s and the 1960s. It was there, in 1965, that he met Li Ai Vee, who would become his student following their encounter. The two paintings presented here were created in that very year, 1965, and are dedicated to Li Ai Vee. The theme of birds, which Zhang Daqian explored throughout his career, is deeply rooted in the classical tradition of Chinese literati painting. Perched on a pine trunk or atop a rock, Zhang Daqian's solitary birds are rendered with a few swift brushstrokes, combining the spontaneity of the gesture with the rigor of composition. These works, in which emptiness and fullness intertwine with subtle harmony, invite quiet contemplation.