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Musical Performance, painted also in 1944, depicts the corner of a Tang palace room from such an unusual angle that it almost looks like a snapshot. The musicians, playing behind a pillar decorated with a dragon, are only partially visible. This method of composition, quite common in Japanese ukiyo-e prints and widely used by French Impressionist painters, was a new experiment in Chinese painting. When this painting was first shown in public, critics acclaimed it as the "beginning of a new era in Chinese art".

EXTRACTED FROM "CHINESE PAINTINGS: WITH THE ORIGINAL PAINTINGS AND DISCOURSES ON CHINESE ART BY PROFESSOR CHANG DAI-CHIEN"

本幅四十年代中懸掛於高嶺梅成都家中
The present lot hanging on wall at Kao Ling-mei's apartment in Chengdu in 1940s ©梅雲堂文獻庫 Mei Yun Tang Archive

一九四四年成都〈張大千國畫展覽〉目次，本幅連同〈春燈〉、〈讀畫〉、〈採蓮〉，定價六十萬，倍數於其它作品
Exhibition listing of *Exhibition of Chinese Paintings by Chang Dai-chien* in Chengdu, 1944, in which "Musical Performance", "Spring Lanterns", "Reading Paintings", and "Lotus Picking" were priced at 600,000 yuan, surpassing other works

In the autumn of 1944, Zhang Daqian devoted himself to completing four meticulous paintings of ladies: "Musical Performance," "Spring Lanterns," "Lotus Picking," and "Reading Paintings”, which he took great pride in. When exhibited in Chengdu in October of the same year, they were priced at 600,000 yuan, surpassing the value of his other works. Some accounts suggest that they were marked as not for sale during the exhibition, leaving many disappointed. However, after the exhibition, Zhang Daqian presented "Spring Lanterns" to his dear friend Chang Chun. At the beginning of the following year, in 1945, he gifted "Musical Performance" as a New Year's greeting to Kao Ling-mei, the owner of the "Mei Yun Tang".

(左至右) 張大千贈張群之〈春燈〉、四川美術學院藏〈採蓮圖〉、一九四七年作〈唐宮按樂圖〉
(left to right) "Spring Lanterns" gifted to Chang Chun, "Lotus Picking" in the collection of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, "Musical Performance" (1947)

大風堂舊藏無款〈明皇按樂圖〉卷，隔水具張大千題跋，一九八三年由大千家屬捐贈臺北故宮博物院
"Emperor Ming Enjoying Music", formerly in Dafengtang Collection. It was donated to Palace Museum in Taipei by the artist's family members in 1983.

〈三十六窟中唐畫伎樂菩薩〉，收錄於一九四四年出版之〈大風堂臨摹敦煌壁畫第一集〉
Zhang Daqian's sketch of Dunhuang mural, which might be a source of inspiration for the present work, illustrated in the artist's publication in 1944

This painting might have been inspired by the anonymous "Emperor Ming Enjoying Music" handscroll from the artist’s own collection, or perhaps by the musical scenes depicted in Dunhuang murals. The composition is extraordinary, resembling a close-up photograph, with the focal point placed in a corner of the Tang Palace. Through the partially concealed bamboo screens and the space between dragon-patterned columns, one can observe the musicians performing from a side angle. The musicians, as the main subjects, are meticulously portrayed, and the scene's arrangement is finely detailed. The harmonious integration of lines, vibrant colors, and figure depictions clearly show the influence of Dunhuang art. The female musicians possess robust and graceful figures, adorned in luxurious attire. They exude elegance while maintaining a natural charm. The artist's skillful brushwork in capturing their facial expressions brings them to life, showcasing the splendor of the Tang Dynasty. This painting is a representative masterpiece of Zhang Daqian's meticulous figure painting during his prime period.