As a painter, he was known for his singular ability to mix traditional techniques and styles with contemporary ideas and currents. As a collector, he accumulated important examples from all genres of Chinese painting and left behind copious seals and inscriptions.

As a forger, Zhangmastered the art of deception that his fakes were purchased unwittingly by nearly every major art museum in the United States—the MFA included. Indeed, the first question asked by experts when a work is considered suspeis: “Could this be by Zhang Daqian?”

This exhibition focuses on all three facets of Zhang’s career and features a rich selection of works from the MFalongside loans from private collections. Of particular interest is a master forgery acquired by the Museum in 1957 as an authentic work of the 10th century. The painting, which was allegedly a landscape by the Five Dynastperiod master Guan Tong, is one of Zhang’s most ambitious forgeries and serves to illustrate both his skill and his audacity.

The picture shows 'Mount E-mei of Sichua, 1953, Zhang Daqian'. -- www.mfa.org