Farewell, My Concubine

I finally got around to putting up this Chinese hanging scroll with a painting of a scene from the Bejing Opera "Farewell, My Concubine".  I ordered it from a site in China that specializes in hand-made arts and crafts.  I can't read the inscription or the artists' chops, though, and I don't remember who painted the picture.

Besides the subject matter, one of the things I really love about this painting is its modern style.  I like the fact that the artist felt free to treat this subject more impressionistically.  I have seen very few Chinese paintings of opera subjects.  Unlike the Japanese woodblock tradition which featured glorious series of prints by the greatest artists of the stars of the kabuki stage, I see little evidence that opera in China was held in similarily high esteem, which I think is a shame.  I feel very lucky to have found this painting.

If the painting looks a bit familiar, it is probably because you have seen Chen Kaige's film starring Leslie Cheung.