Bamboo and Orchid

CHENG MAOXIAO (16TH-17TH CENTURY)
Bamboo and Orchid
Handscroll, ink on paper
27.5 x 592 cm. (10 ⁷⁄₈ x 233 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with four seals of the artist
Dated xinwei, fourth year of the Chongzhen period (1631)

K.C. Wu (1903-1984), a prominent politician, reformer and historian, left an indelible mark on modern Chinese history. Born in Hubei, he was educated at Grinnell College and Princeton University, where he earned his doctorate in political science in 1926. His career in public service began in Hankou. He later served as the wartime Mayor of Chongqing and became Mayor of Shanghai in 1946. In 1949, he was appointed the Governor of Taiwan. An outspoken advocate for liberal reforms, he was one of the key architects of postwar Taiwan society. His wife Edith Huang Wu (1912-2002) was an accomplished artist. She studied under Zheng Manqing and Pu Ru, whose teachings greatly influenced her work. The present collection has been cherished by the family until today.