Huang Zhongguan (act. 20th early century)Imperial Consort, After Tang Yin (1935)Ink and pigment on silk, signed by the artist, one red seal, framed and glazed.64cm (24 1/4in) x 31.5cm (1 4/8in)注脚The present lot probably depicts 班婕妤 Ban Jieyu (48-6BC), a third-rank consort of the Western Han Emperor Chengdi. Held in history as a model of integrity she once refused to ride in the emperor's palanquin fearing she would distract him from important matters of state. After she failed to produce a male heir she was eventually abandoned for a younger dancing girl and later was accused of witchcraft along with the Empress. Lady Ban was most famous for composing the poem 'Song of Resentment' where she compares herself to a discarded autumn fan. She attained lasting fame through inclusion in the Biographies of Exemplary Women compiled in 18BC by the Confucian scholar Liu Xiang.