Painter, Collector, Forger

Painter, Collector, Forger


Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) casts a long shadow over the modern history of Chinese painting. As a painter, he was known for his singular ability to mix traditional techniques and styles with contemporary ideas and currents. As a collector, he accumulated important examples from all genres of Chinese painting and left behind copious seals and inscriptions. As a forger, Zhang so mastered the art of deception that his fakes were purchased unwittingly by nearly every major art museum in the United States—the MFA included. Indeed, the first question asked by experts when a work is considered suspect is: “Could this be by Zhang Daqian?”


Splashed-color Landscape, dated 1965
Zhang Daqian (Chinese, 1899–1983)
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
23 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. (60.3 x 95.9 cm)
Inscribed by the artist
Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.361)



Source: Zhang Daqian: Splashed-color Landscape (1986.267.361) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art