ZHANG DAQIAN

Early Years

Born into an artistic family, Zhang Daqian was encouraged to pursue painting from a young age. He initially studied textile dyeing in Kyoto, Japan, before returning to China to learn painting and calligraphy under masters such as Zeng Xi and Li Ruiqing. His early works were deeply influenced by classical Chinese artists like Shitao and Bada Shanren.

The artist’s widespread popularity rose relatively quickly after he started painting in the 1920s. Notable solo exhibitions in Nanjing in 1927, and Beijing in 1934, saw many paintings sold, and further interest in Zhang’s art rise across China. Zhang’s fame and intrigue was also augmented by an idiosyncratic way of dressing and a long beard that he maintained since the age of 26. The artist had a penchant for wearing long traditional Chinese robes which would later be paired with an unusual cane.

Overseas travels

In 1949 Zhang left China due to the political climate, and settled in Argentina, living in both Mendoza, and Sao Paulo until moving to the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California in 1967. Zhang would stay in California for a decade, but travel extensively. In 1957 Zhang visited Paris for exhibitions of his work at The Louvre and Musée Guimet. There he met Picasso, whom he gave advice on painting in Chinese techniques. He later moved to in Taipei 1978, where he settled and would eventually pass away in 1983.

Zhang Daqian’s Artworks

Zhang Daqian’s artistic journey is marked by a transition from traditional Chinese guohua painting techniques to more expressive innovative styles that incorporated modernist Western influences.

Traditional mastery and forgery

In his early career, Zhang was known for his meticulous copies of ancient Chinese masterpieces, particularly those from the Dunhuang caves. His meticulous study and understanding of not only classical techniques, but materials, such as ink, brushes, pigment, scroll mountings, and seals, earned him recognition as a master forger.

Zhang’s forgeries of Chinese master artists have been identified within collections of major art museums in the United States. Notably, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, acquired what they believed to be a rare masterpiece landscape by Guan Tong, however it would later be discovered to be one of Zhang Daqian’s masterful forgeries.

Splashed-Ink Innovation

Developed in the 1960s, Zhang’s splashed ink technique marked a radical shift in Chinese painting. Inspired in part by his partial loss of eyesight, this technique involved pouring and splashing ink and colour onto paper or silk, allowing spontaneous forms to emerge. Notable examples include the monumental scroll landscape mural, Panorama of Mount Lu (1981-83), held by the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and Peach Blossom Spring (1982), which sold for $34.7 million (USD) to the Long Museum in Shanghai in 2016. Both works exemplify Zhang’s masterful control of chance and gesture.

Exhibitions

Zhang Daqian’s works feature in many of the world’s most prominent public art museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, and the British Museum, in London. Zhang’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide. Notable solo presentations include:

Solo Exhibitions

• Chang Dai-chien in California, San Francisco State University (1999)
• Zhang Daqian, Painter, Collector, Forger, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2007)
• The Treasures of Chang Dai-Chien — His Daughter’s Collection, Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai (2015)
• Zhang Daqian Art Exhibition, National Museum of China, Beijing (2018)
• Zhang Daqian: The Master, Sotheby’s Hong Kong (2019)

Zhang Daqian FAQs

Ocula | 2025