CHEN ZHIFO (1899-1962)
Flowers of the Four Seasons, 1948
Four hanging scrolls, ink and color on paper, each panel with an inscription and seals of the artist, as follows, the first panel signed Xueweng, with two artist's seals Zhifo xiesheng, Yangzhen lu and a collector's seal of Tsao Jung Ying; the second panel signed Xueweng with three artist's seals Chen Zhifo yin, Xueweng and Yangzhen Lu; the third panel signed Zhifo with an artist's seal Zhifo; the fourth panel inscribed with a dedication to Boci dated wuzi and signed Xueweng with three artist's seals shizao hua, Chen Zhifo yin and Yangzhen lu.
51 1/2 x 11 1/2in (131 x 29.5cm) each panel (4).
Footnotes:
陳之佛 四時花卉 設色紙本 立軸四幅 一九四八年作

A native of Zhejiang Province, close to Ningbo, Chen Zhifo studied at the Tokyo College of Art from 1918-1923. The five years spent in Japan left an indelible impression on the artist's work for years to come. In this impressive four panel set, the artist utilizes sized paper, which allows the applied colors to pool on the surface of the paper. In Japan this technique is known as tarashikomi and it was brought to fruition by Tawaraya Sotatsu (-c.1640) and Ogata Korin (1658-1716). However, the roots of this tradition likely date to Tang Dynasty China.