趙少昂 香港漁家夕照

設色紙本裱於木板 三聯屏 一九六一年作

款識︰辛丑涼秋九月為新界大埔漁家寫照。趙少昂。

鈐印︰「趙」、「少昂」、「足跡英美法意瑞德日印菲諸國」。

註︰嶺南畫派重寫生，筆底強調對自然景物之默察與領會。趙少昂移居香江後，遍訪鄉郊，於上世紀五、六十年代間，創作一系列寫꧂生作品。本幅題「為新界大埔漁ꩵ家寫照」，繪於一九六一年，乃取香江勝景入畫較早者，精繪於通景三聯屏上，寬近九尺，殊屬稀見。

畫中洲渚連綿，漁舟擱灘，衹見夕陽餘輝，灑落岸上與山頭🐻，染成一片紅暈，應是作業完畢、漁舟泊岸後潮退之景象。畫中如漁艇簡樸之結構，或漁民稍息消暇之情態，無不細緻交代。攷大埔六十年代地貌，所繪應大埔吐露港一帶，嶼端茂林者，似為元洲仔，隔岸之山峰，應分別為八仙嶺與馬鞍山。畫家對未都市化之大埔情有獨鍾，屢賦詩以詠，復於一九六七年寫六呎整紙大埔山水，自存留念。該畫與本幅構圖相若，題「曩過大埔坳，得此畫稿」，恰證兩者之淵源，上題詩曰「極目漁家聚此間，不聞理亂自優閒」，亦可窺見畫家對如斯風光之感悟。趙氏後期寫日暮漁家題材，如〈雨餘虹影〉及〈澹然秋水對斜暉〉，縱無明確取景所在，實皆啟發自大埔漁家風光矣！

趙少昂筆下偶有聯屏，如一九六二年作〈芭蕉〉，乃自藏復捐贈博物館。又如三十年代作〈春江水暖〉，或應訂購者特別要求寫製。本聯屏由史帶入藏，或即用以🀅誌念他在香江卅載之砥礪歲月，原框背具「AIU Far East Art Collection」（美亞保險藝術收藏）標簽 。一九六七年，史帶於朱孔嘉之布魯斯特寓所慶祝七十五歲壽辰，照片所見，牆上所懸即為本幅，可知本幅由史帶購入後，時已轉贈朱氏。

參考資料︰

〈香港大埔坳山水〉可參見香港中文大學文物館藏品，編號1992.0170

〈澹然秋水對斜暉〉可參見香港蘇富比，二○一二年四月，中國書畫拍賣，編號1113

〈春江水暖〉、〈雨餘虹影〉可參見〈天風薪傳─「遊✱藝堂」藏趙少昂書畫精品集〉（香港蘇富比有限公司，二○一○年四月），圖版9、33

〈芭蕉〉可參見香港文化博物館藏品，編號HM1994.108.1

each 94.3 x 90.5 cm 37⅛ x 35⅝ in. (3)

美國私人藏畫（編號6170-6172） 

本輯乃保險業巨擘史帶 (Cornelius V🍬ander Starr，1892-1968) 舊藏，後贈予朱孔嘉（1907-1998）。 

史帶，美國著名企業家，美亞💫保險公司和美國國際保險集團創始人，即AIG American International Group 前身。他商業頭腦精明，一九一〇年入柏克萊加州大學，不久輟學，經營雪糕店並出售獲利。時僅二十出頭，雄心勃勃，勇於嘗試不同行業，對保險業尤其熱衷，曾協助創辦保險經紀公司。他勤奮賣力，白天工作，晚上唸書，考獲律師資格。然未囿於一職一地，遠赴日本發展，未及半年，轉赴上海。他看準當時利息高，而衛生環境逐步改善，人均壽命增長，故在未及而立之齡，在當地成立美亞、友邦、四海等保險公司，並逐步擴展至全國及東南亞地區。抗日時將公司總部遷往紐約，並於一九四八年，將上海公司轉往香港，業務亦擴充至歐美。一🍰九六七年，註冊成立美國國際集團（AIG），涵蓋旗下過百企業，一躍成為全球保險業巨頭。翌年，因心臟病發遽逝於紐約。 

他知人善任，以當地人管理在地企🐭業，加之生性慷慨，生意大獲成功，與下屬朱孔嘉逾四十載交誼即例證。他樂善好施，捐離世後大部份個人資產捐贈史帶基金會，至今仍活躍於慈善事務。 

史帶經商之餘亦好收藏，不時為個人或不同地區的辦公室選購藝術品，涉獵甚廣，野獸派油畫、宗教藝術、中國工藝品、雕塑等。他對中國感情至深，曾曰「中國為我家鄉，中國人爲我同胞」，觀乎本輯，足見對中國書畫之ꦜ鑑賞品味。 

朱孔嘉（1907-1൩998），江蘇常熟人。畢業於上海大學，一九二七年五月加入美亞保險公司，逐漸成爲史帶在華倚重的左右手，綜理中國及東南亞地區業務。上海淪陷前夕與光復之初，他力保公司資料免毀於戰火；四八🅘年，又偕公司檔案和員工飛赴香港，令業務得以延續。爲公司服務逾七十載，逝世時仍是美亞保險香港有限公司主席。他熱心社會事務，大力贊助教育及慈善事業，並曾資助香港中文大學文物館購置藏品。 

六十年代中，史帶將位於紐約市以北布魯斯特 (Brewster)佔地地四十英畝的一處住宅，連同宅中的藝術品贈予朱孔嘉伉儷。💟此後又陸續以所藏相贈，本輯三幅即源出於此。 

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Zhao Shao'ang

1905 - 1998

Fishing Boats of Tai Po

ink and colour on paper, mounted on se𒐪t of three wooden panels

signed, dated 1961, with 3 seals of the artist

each 94.3 x 90.5 cm 37⅛ x 35⅝ in. (3)

FROM AN AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTION (LOTS 6170-6172) 

This collection belonged to insurance tycoon Cornelius ♓Vander Starr (1892-1968), befꦚore being bestowed upon K.K. Tse (1907-1998). 

An eminent American entrepreneur and magnate, Starr founded the insurance company American Asiatic Underwriters, Inc. (AAU), which is now AIG. Known to have an astute sense of business acumen, he withdrew from the University of California Berkeley after enrolling in 1910 to begin his first business venture: selling ice cream. At just 20 years old, Starr’s ambitions drove him to try various industries, with insurance particularly becoming his passion, having already by then helped found an insurance organization. Employee by day, student by night, Starr toiled diligently to qualify as a solicitor. Yet, he refused to be held down: Starr headed for Japan and moved to Shanghai in less than half a year. Taking advantage of the growing interest rates and increased lifespan, the latter owing to improved hygiene conditions, Starr established insurance companies in Shanghai, including AAU, the Great American Insurance Company, the Firemen’s Fund Insurance Company, and Hartford Fire Insurance Company, all before reaching 30. Gradually, Starr set his eyes upon expanding to the whole of China and Southeast Asia. In response to the Second Sino-Japanese War, he relocated his headquarters to New York. By 1948, he moved his office from Shanghai to Hong Kong, intending to branch out to Europe and the United States. In 1967, Starr incorporated American Asiatic Underwriters Corporation (AAU). With over 100 companies under its umbrella, AAU became a colossal insurance empire globally. The following year, Starr 🦂passed away from a heart attack in New York at the ripe age of 76. 

With a keen eye for budding talents andꦆ charitable nature, Starr enjoyed a flourishing business, as💫 exemplified by a 40-year-long partnership and camaraderie with employee K.K. Tse. A philanthropist even in death, Starr donated most of his personal assets to the C.V. Starr Foundation, by which its charitable works continue till this day. 

Beyond being a business tycoon, Starr was also an esteemed connoisseur. Every so often, he would collect artworks either for his own personal decor or for his offices in various regions, gathering a myriad of works ranging from fauvist oil paintings to religious art♔, to Chinese art and sculptures. Starr was deeply attached to China, once commenting “China is my hometown, and the Chinese are my compatriots”. This collection shall testify to his impeccable taste and appreciation for Chinese paintings and calligraphy.   

K.K. Tse (1907-1998) was born in Changshu of Jiangsu Province. Graduated from Shanghai University, Tse joined AAU, climbing through the ranks to become Starr’s right-hand man in managing the affairs in China and Southeast Asia. On the eve of the Battle of Shanghai, Tse successfully shielded the company’s data from the flames of war; in 1948, he made his way to Hong Kong, alongside with company records and staff, thereby continuing Starr’s busi🀅ness. Having served the company for more than 70 years, Tse, on his death bed, was still ♐the chairman of AAU Far East, Inc. A compassionate benefactor in society, Tse generously championed educational and charitable causes, and had sponsored the acquisition of exhibits for the Heritage Museum at Chinese University of Hong Kong.  

In the mid-1960s, Starr bestowed upon Tse a forty-acre residence in Brewster, just north of New York city, along with its ar⛄tworks. Since then, he continued to gift from his collection, from which three painওtings debuting this season are derived from.