Returning in the Snow, 1956|Framed and glazed, ink and color on paper, inscribed and signed Zhao Wangyun, dated 1956, with one artist's seal reading Zhao Wangyun. |41 1/4 x 28 3/4in (104.8 x 73cm)|趙望雲 瑞雪兆豐年 設色紙本 鏡框 1956年作ProvenanceCollection of Arthur Haffkin (1902-1991)Private Collection, United KingdomExhibitedHerbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, July 11- August 9, 1964, Modern Chinese Paintings from the Haffkin and Other Collections, NO 35Zhao Wangyun achieved early fame for his depictions of rural life entitled "Drawings from the Countryside" that appeared in the Tianjin newspaper Dagongbao. Finding a patron in General Feng Yuxiang (1882-1948), the two would collaborate on numerous projects that reflected the hardships and injustices that were faced by the rural poor. The present painting, created in 1956 when the artist was president of the Xi'an branch of the Chinese Artist's Association, shows a decidedly more upbeat mood, although it still retains its documentary style.