PROVENANCE:

Collection of Sanhuai House, Hong Kong

ILLUSTRATED:

Zhou Weiming ed., Collection of Art Garden Studio No.72: Sanhuai House's Modern Chinese Paintings, People Fine Arts Publishing House, Shanghai, 2004, color illustrated, no. 2, p. 1

"Bird" series can be said to be the most capable of spreading series of Lin Fengmian's works, various printed copies often appeared in all kinds of publications and magazines. Even in 1960s, when China leftwing ideas prevail, barely you can see Lin Fengmian's originals and print, according to Wu Guanzhong's recall, in those days the only time he saw Principal Lin's work was appeared in a publication called Children. He sighed with emotion, but suddenly realized that, "It actually published in the most appropriate place. Young at heart VS childlike innocence!" (Wu Guanzhong: To Teacher Lin Fengmian - Recalling Gardener in Flower Garden, No. 33, Artist)

Lin Fengmian's bird pictures usually adopt light lines to draw a solitary bird up in the branch. Some researchers think these works are more like ordinary paintings, some think they represent the independence, unruliness, grief and indignation, pessimist inward world of the artist. In fact, there are many famous experts have produced pictures themed Great View, in which Qi Baishi's Great View as a tribute to Eagle, experienced touches draw the outline of Eagle's commanding, aloof and proud inviolability manner, create a "imminent danger" dangerous situation on the picture. But Lin Fengmian's Great View is themed at owl through painting, plump, rich and layered picture composition make the protagonist at the center of the picture appear perversely, but with lots of human emotions, the work was created in 1960s when the artist lived in convulsion, ups and downs. This work not only presents the artist's usual social stand and feelings of the time, but also highlights the artist's unchanged true nature in the adversity through the form of childhood fun performance of an owl.

The collector got this work from an old gentleman who once worked for Shanghai Museum. The old gentleman received this work as a gift from Lin Fengmian, and then he invited the painter Zhu Jizhan who returned from Japan to inscribe: "Great View". The intensity and abundance of calligraphy presented another kind of reflection and spice on the work.