‘FISH AND MORNING GLORY’, BY MEI LANFANG (1894-1961), DATED 1950China. Ink and watercolors on paper. With a good silk brocade frame, mounted as a hanging scroll. Finely painted in green and pink with a group of six fish swimming in a pond amid waterweeds, the upper register with branches of willow and morning glory issuing pink blossoms, a grasshopper perched on the top flower.Inscriptions: Upper right, signed ‘Written by Wanhua Mei Lanfang’ and inscribed ‘In the Spring of the Year of Gengyin [corresponding to 1950], Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Xun Huisheng, and Cheng Yanqiu painted together in the Studio of the Scent of the Lotus Root’. One seal of the artist, ‘Wanhua’.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear, little foxing, and few small stains.Dimensions: Image size 71 x 46 cm, size incl. mounting 91 x 42.5 cmMei Lanfang (1894-1961) was a Chinese theatrical performer and painter who became famous as one of the greatest singer-actor-dancers of all time in Chinese history. He studied jingxi at the Beijing opera and began his debut at 11. Thereafter he played mostly female roles, bing especially known for his portrayal of the ‘Flower-Shattering Diva’. His style of dance became so popular over the years that it eventually came to be known as the ‘Mei Lanfang school’.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: China Guardian Auctions Beijing, 2 April 2015, lot 1413Price: CNY 55,200 or approx.EUR 9,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), Fishes and willow (1926)Expert remark:pare the closely related motif with fish and willow. Note the size (93 x 33 cm).梅蘭芳合筆《花下魚塘》，1950年中國，紙本水墨設色，掛軸。魚在水草叢生的池塘中游動戲耍，岸邊柳樹和牽牛花纏繞，粉紅色的花朵異常奪目，一隻蚱蜢立在頂部的花朵上。風格娟秀華美，中鋒行筆，得規中距、乾淨俐落。款識：庚寅新春梅蘭芳尚小雲荀慧生程硯秋合筆作於藕香舘，畹華梅蘭芳題：鈴印：畹華