Seven-character Poem by Yuan Zhen in Running Script

YU YOUREN (1879-1964)
Seven-character Poem by Yuan Zhen in Running Script
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
139.5 x 72.5 cm. (54 ⁷⁄₈ x 28 ¹⁄₂ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal or the artist

This collection was provided by a descendant of the Feng XiaoYun Family. There is limited information about Feng’s life. Still, according to the recollection of the family descendants, he was active in Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republican period. During his early years, Feng was involved in real estate development in the French Concessions. He also operated a hotel in Shanghai’s Ba Xian Qiao, where he formed a close relationship with Huang Jinrong (1868-1953). Huang was one of the “three tycoons in Shanghai” along with Du Yuesheng (1888-1951) and Zhang Tsao Lin (1877-1940). Because of this relationship, Feng began collecting paintings and calligraphy by celebrities and antiques.