Wu Guanzhong's oil painting Zhouzhuang, was based on this pencil sketch from 1985.

In Qu Yuan's original verses, the God of Cloud rules the order of wind, rain, thunder and light while the Great Lord of Fate controls a person's lifespan.

Fu drew the two unrelated figures together, giving the God of Cloud a feminine look. The character had been identified as a man in many scholars' interpretation while it was thought to be a woman by Guo Moruo, the author and historian acquainted with Fu. With his work, Fu injected a romantic feeling into the painting.

Furthermore he placed the gods in a background of a fierce lightning storm, which forms a contrast with their calm attitude.

Xiao Ping, a Beijing-based connoisseur of classic Chinese painting, says that Fu's brushwork has brought grace and vitality to the gods, which he inherited by studying masterpieces of ancient Chinese painters such as Gu Kaizhi.

"But taking a close look, one will feel that the gods look like ordinary people around us and that the human society and the deity's world are close to each other. That is why Fu's paintings move people so much," he says.

Fu was so inspired by Jiu Ge that he created more than 10 works. Three themed on the God of Cloud and Great Lord of Fate are known to exist.

The painting, a highlight Poly's Beijing sale in June, is estimated to be worth 180 million yuan ($27.8 million).

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

March 23-April 4 Poly Gallery Hong Kong, 7/F, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

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