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Lot Essay
Born into an educated family in Beijing, An Ho first determined to be an artist at the age of 7. Her mother was a painter of flowers, and An Ho learned calligraphy from a family friend. However, her path as an artist was dramatically impacted when she became the student of Pu Ru (1896-1963) in 1945 when she was 16. She continued to study with him for 17 years. As Pu Ru considered it imperative that she develop her knowledge and character broadly in order to be an accomplished painter, he also instructed her in Chinese history, literature and philosophy. Beginning in the early 1950s, An Ho began to seriously study and copy the ancient painting styles of the Tang and Song dynasties. She sought out teachers who could help her master the needed techniques and studied original masterpieces whenever possible. This refined and meticulous gongbi style of antiquity suited An Ho’s personality, and she developed a personal painting and calligraphy style that was elegant, technically masterful and brilliant.
An Ho has achieved distinction throughout the world. In 1954 she received the Gold Medal at the Second Asian Olympic Games Art Exhibition in the Philippines and in 1957 the Best-in-Show for the Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Taiwan Department of Education. Her paintings have been shown and collected in Germany, Italy, France, Brazil and throughout Asia. In 1977 she moved with her family to the United States and continued to paint and exhibit until her final days.
The Night Revels of Han Xizai is a landmark painting now in the Palace Museum, Beijing. While the extant version is thought to be a Song-dynasty copy, the original is thought to have been painted by the Tang-court artist Gu Hongzhang (937-975) to depict the leisure activities of the minister Han Xizai. According to Huang Junbi’s colophon that follows An Ho’s painting, Zhang Daqian owned the Palace Museum’s Night Revels for a number of years and studied it often with friends. It was at this time that An Ho was able to examine and copy the painting.
An Ho has achieved distinction throughout the world. In 1954 she received the Gold Medal at the Second Asian Olympic Games Art Exhibition in the Philippines and in 1957 the Best-in-Show for the Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Taiwan Department of Education. Her paintings have been shown and collected in Germany, Italy, France, Brazil and throughout Asia. In 1977 she moved with her family to the United States and continued to paint and exhibit until her final days.
The Night Revels of Han Xizai is a landmark painting now in the Palace Museum, Beijing. While the extant version is thought to be a Song-dynasty copy, the original is thought to have been painted by the Tang-court artist Gu Hongzhang (937-975) to depict the leisure activities of the minister Han Xizai. According to Huang Junbi’s colophon that follows An Ho’s painting, Zhang Daqian owned the Palace Museum’s Night Revels for a number of years and studied it often with friends. It was at this time that An Ho was able to examine and copy the painting.