This is a letter from Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) to Khoan Sullivan (1919-2003), accompanying a painting, ‘Snowy Mountains’, by the same artist [LI2022.62]. The painting was given as a gift to Khoan. This letter reads ‘Madam Wu Khoan, My small scroll has been admired by your eyes. It has been displayed for two weeks, but no one has asked about it. I really feel like crying for my unappreciated jewel. I send it to you through the mail and hope you will accept it so I can thank you for your esteem. I, Yuan, will shortly depart for Taiwan, but will return in about a month. If we miss the plum season, we can meet in my small garden to admire the crab-apple. 16th January, wishing peace to both of you. Daqian Zhang Yuan. Equally intending (the scroll) for my friend Michael, I painted only one.’
Sullivan, Michael, Modern Chinese Art: The Khoan and Michael Sullivan Collection, revised edn (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2009), no. 151 on p. 153, illus. p.153 fig. II151(a)
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