AFTER XIE ZHILIU (1910-1997), BUTTERFLIES AND LILIESChina, 20th century. Ink and watercolors on paper. Inscribed including the artist name Zhiliu jushi Xie Zhi and with red seals. Finely painted with butterflies fluttering above lilies, the flowers in full bloom, with petals of coral and foliage of evergreen, matted in silk. The subject of butterflies, an animal that undergoes a form of ‘rebirth’ from their chrysalis, is seen as an auspicious symbol of longevity. Lilies and butterflies together form a rebus, ‘Xuān Dié Tú’, meaning ‘May mother live up to a ripe old age’, and are often a theme for mothers’ birthday gifts. Framed in a vintage frame, behind glass.Condition: Very good condition with very minor ink stains and creasing.Provenance: US trade.Dimensions: 89 x 42 cm (image cut-out), 105.5 x 66 cm (frame)Xie Zhiliu (1910-1997) was a leading traditional painter, calligrapher, and art connoisseur of modern China. He was a noted member of the Shanghai School. Xie and his wife Chen Peiqiu are one of the most famous couples in Chinese art. Xie began learning to paint at the age of nine and received an education according to the Chinese artistic tradition, which is a combination of drawing directly from life and copying the paintings of old masters. At the age of 19, he began to emulate the style of Ming dynasty master Chen Hongshou. In the 1930s, Xie Zhiliu befriended the famous painter Zhang Daqian. In 1942 Xie went to Dunhuang with Zhang to study the art of the Mogao Caves. After returning he published several books including ‘Records of Dunhuang Art’ and ‘Compilation of Dunhuang Cave Art’. In 1943, Xie was hired as an art professor by the National Central University (now Nanjing University), then exiled in Chongqing during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He held personal exhibitions in many Chinese cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, and Shanghai. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he worked on cultural relic preservation, and served as a consultant for the Shanghai Museum.