The powerful, energetic brushstrokes that masterfully place the black leaf shapes and fragrant white blossoms on paper are echoed in the angular, bold characters of the artist's inscription. Zhang Daqian is considered one of the greatest Chinese painters of the 20th century. After two years in Japan and a stay in a monastery, during which he received the monk's name Daqian, he studied painting and calligraphy in Shanghai. In 1949, already a celebrated artist, he left China and lived for many years in various places, mainly in Latin America, accompanied by a large entourage. He was extremely prolific as a painter into his old age.
The Frankfurt painting was part of his first major solo exhibition in Germany (Galerie Editha Leppich/Cologne, 1964). An exhibition of his paintings organized by the Museum für Kunsthandwerk (now the Museum Angewandte Kunst) at the Carmelite Monastery in Frankfurt in the same year was probably a take-over of the Cologne show. Zhang Daqian's lotus painting is one of the highlights of the museum's Asian art collection.