Zhang Daqian, Picasso continue to maintain a mesmeric hold over the art world

KOLKATA: In 2011, the Chinese artist Zhang Daqian usurped Picasso’s position as the world’s top selling artist at auction. Widely considered "the Picasso of the East", he towers over his contemporaries in much the same manner as his European counterpart. Born less than a decade apart, both Zhang and Picasso continue to maintain a mesmeric hold over the art world decades after their deaths, not least because they both rank among the top selling artists at auctions worldwide.

The parallels between the artists run far deeper than this however. After first meeting in 1956, they struck up a friendship which was to last for the rest of their lives. Both were warm-hearted and hospitable, fond of conversation, good food and drink, who shared their expertise and ideas about painting.

When Zhang learned that Picasso had been experimenting with Chinese painting techniques for some time, Zhang – ever the exponent of correct technique - presented his friend with his own set of Chinese brushes.

The Mei Yun Tang Collection, the single-owner collection of Zhang Daqian’s work which will be offered at Sotheby’s on the May 27 is unparalleled. Assembled by Kao Ling-Mei, a close friend of the artist, the collection stands as a testament to the 50-year bond between the pair.

In the late 1950s, the two men collaborated on a major publication exploring Zhang’s art, theories and techniques: ‘Chinese Paintings with the Original Paintings & Discourses on Chinese Art by Professor Chang Dai-chien.

Many seminal works illustrated in the book will highlight the auction. Twenty-five works from the Mei Yun Tang Collection were offered in a dedicated sale at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2011. That sale made US$87.3m – a record total for a single owner sale of Chinese Modern painting. One work, Lotus and Mandarin Ducks, sold for nearly US$26 million, setting the auction record for Zhang Daqian that still stands today, In the wake of the 2011 benchmark sale, this May’s offering of works by "the greatest Chinese artist of the last 500 years" is set to be a landmark event in this year’s the global auction calendar.