XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Lazy Cats
Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
104.5 x 51.9 cm. (41 ¹⁄₈ x 20 ³⁄₈ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated twenty-eighth year (of the Republic, 1939)
Dedicated to Weiying

The painting is from the collection of Mr Chen Jiandun, a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist born in the early 20th century and moved from China to Singapore in his youth. While in Singapore, he developed a successful career and founded a business empire in property development, shipping and cement manufacturing in Singapore and Hong Kong. Mr Chen was known for his generosity and philanthropic activities towards his hometown in China, making frequent visits and donations for infrastructure building from the 1950s.

As a keen photographer, Mr Chen became friends with many Singaporean artists in the Chinese and Western traditions who opened his eyes to Chinese paintings. With a passion for Chinese art, Mr Chen assembled an impressive collection of Chinese ink paintings throughout his life, with a particular interest in Xu Beihong, a love shared by many of his fellow Southeast Asian collectors. Many outstanding pieces from this collection have been presented in Christie’s Chinese Paintings Auctions in 2022 and have achieved excellent results.