‘THREE CHICKS’, BY SHEN QUAN (1682-1760), DATED 1757 1757年沈銓款《雞雛尋食圖》China. Ink and watercolors on silk, in a silk brocade mounting and laid down on paper. Depicting three chicks on grassy ground amid two flowering chrysanthemums.Inscriptions: The inscription reading ‘written in the fifth month in the year of Dingchou Qianlong period (1757), Nanping Shen Quan 76’. Provenance: From the collection of Dr. David Ho (1911-1986), and thence by descent within the family. Dr. David Ho (Chinese name Ho Hangchi) was born in Guangzhou in 1911. His father was a well-known dentist in Nanjing who counted Chiang Kai-shek among his patients. Dr. Ho was a legal officer at the United Nations in New York from 1949 until his retirement in 1971. Interested in Chinese history and art, Dr. Ho was particularly fascinated by objects that were inscribed. His extensive archive suggests that it was during his time in New York that he began collecting and researching Chinese artifacts. Condition: Good condition with some old wear, minor creasing with associated old repairs, small losses here and there.Dimensions: Image size 60.2 x 35.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 86.8 x 47.5 cmShen Quan (ca. 1682-1760) was active during the Qing dynasty and painted in the Ming academic style. Shen was very influential in Japan, inspiring an entire school of painting, the Nanping School, which flourished in Nagasaki during the Edo period and was named after the artist’s courtesy name. Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2018, lot 1043Price: HKD 1,000,000 or approx. EUR 130,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Shen Quan (1682-1762), Pheasants under Blossoming BranchAuction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 25 November 2013, lot 1007 Price: HKD 400,000 or approx. EUR 60,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Shen Quan (1682-1762), Plum Blossom and Mandarin Ducks1757年沈銓款《雞雛尋食圖》中國，絹本設色，鏡心。圖中繪三隻小雞，描繪傳神，將雛雞的尋食的情態表現得淋漓盡致。 款識：隆丁丑蕤宾七十六叟，南蘋沈銓寫 來源：David Ho何昌熾 (1911-1986) 醫生舊藏，保存在同一家族至今。何昌熾先生於1911年出生於廣州。他的父親是南京有名的牙醫，他的病人包括蔣介石。何醫生從 1949 年到 1971 年退休，一直在紐約聯合國擔任法律官員他對中國歷史和藝術尤其感興趣，特別是對有款識的藝術品特別著迷。大量檔案表明，他是在紐約工作期間開始收集和研究中國文物。 品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損，與舊維修相應的輕微摺痕，很多有小缺損。尺寸：畫面60.2 x 35.5 厘米, 總86.8 x 47.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2018年5月28日，lot 1043 價格：HKD 1,000,000（相當於今日EUR 130,000） 描述：沈銓 (1682-1762)《開花枝頭下的野雞》 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2013年11月25日，lot 1007 價格：HKD 400,000（相當於今日EUR 60,500） 描述：沈銓(1682-1762)《梅花和鴛鴦》