Miss Wang Qingfang
wife of renowned Chinese artist

Artist Yagneshwar K. Shukla (1907 – 1986)

dated 1948, Watercolour on paper
Painting 20 x 17 in. (50.8 x 43.2 cm.)
Scroll mounted in China 72 x 21.5 in. (182.9 x 54.6 cm.)

This elegant portrait of Miss Wang Qingfang captures the poise and grace of a woman deeply rooted in Chinese cultural tradition. Dressed in a richly detailed ceremonial Chinese robe and delicately holding a fan, her expression is serene yet introspective. The portrait, executed in soft, transparent watercolors, reflects both sensitivity and technical control. The traditional attire and fan evoke a strong sense of identity and ceremony. Notably, the artist has signed the work in Gujarati, rendered in the style of Chinese calligraphy—an inventive cultural fusion that reveals the crosscultural spirit of the painting.

The artist, Yagneshwar Shukla was a pioneering figure in Indian modern art. He was the first Indian artist sent to both China and Italy under an international scholarship exchange program, where he studied printmaking and portraiture. A contemporary of early modern Indian printmakers, Shukla brought a strong sense of draughtsmanship and cultural empathy to his work. His travels and friendships—like with Wang Qingfang and prominent Chinese artists including Qi Baishi—resulted in deeply personal works serving as an artistic bridge between India and China artistically. This scroll, traditionally mounted and beautifully preserved, stands as a testimony to Indo-Chinese artistic dialogue and the sophistication of Shukla’s visual language.