Description "鸳鸯戲水", translated as Mandarin Ducks Frolicking in Water, is a charming ink painting centered on a pair of mandarin ducks playfully nuzzling beneath the shade of broad, expressive lotus leaves. Anchoring the composition with their tender presence, the ducks evoke harmony and affection, while two lotus flowers, one a slender bud reaching skyward, the other a full bloom unfolding beneath a leaf, add rhythm and grace with their flowing stems. Rendered in spirited brushwork and softened by gentle bursts of color, the scene radiates quiet vitality. With its balance of elegance, warmth, and subtle humor, the work embodies Ding’s signature fusion of traditional aesthetics and modern sensibility.

Dubbed the “Matisse of the East” and the “Modern Bada Shanren,” Ding Yanyong masterfully blended Eastern calligraphy with Western modernist styles. Born in 1902 in Maoming, China, he studied art in Japan and was influenced by Henri Matisse and primitivist motifs. Upon returning to China, he became a pioneer of Western painting before rediscovering Chinese masters like Bada Shanren in the 1930s. After relocating to Hong Kong in 1949, he continued painting and teaching, exhibiting internationally in cities like Melbourne, Paris, and Kyoto. His works are housed in major institutions including the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Johnson Museum in New York.

Dimension in cm (W x H) 100 x 50 | frame: 127.5 x 65.5