A Chinese ink painting of bamboo, late Qing dynasty/20th Century.

From the Collection of Sven Lindqvist (1932-2019), a well renowned Swedish author whose 35 books range from travel and reportage to essays, aphorisms, autobiography, and documentary prose. 1960-62 he studied at Peking University and was 1961-62 cultural attaché at the Swedish Embassy. He formed a life-long attachment to Chinese Art and culture, especially calligraphy.

During his studies at Peking University Lindqvist was fascinated by a Tang dynasty painter famous for his murals: Wu Tao-tzu. The legend has it that he - after having just finished a wall-painting, he suddenly clapped his hands and a gate in the painting opened. Wu Tao-tzu entered into his art, the gate closing behind him, and he was never seen again. The Myth of Wu Tao-tzu, by Sven Lindqvist, (Bonniers 1967, in English, Granta 2012), is the story of what happened to the painter in the painting.