"No.207", by Chu Teh-chun, belongs to the collection of the late Hubert Juin (1926-1987), the French writer, poet and modern art critic, who was given the painting by the artist himself as a gift in 1965. Juin was an authority on 19th century French literature and literary criticism. He is best known for his biography of Victor Hugo, and his critical appraisal of numerous contemporary French artists.

Hubert Juin made the acquaintance of Chu Teh-chun after 1960, at a time when Chu was representing Far Eastern artists at an exhibition of abstract art by the ole de Paris. It was at that exhibition that Chu firmly established himself as a painter in Parisian art circles, and Hubert Juin published a critique of Chu 's work in the Journal Litt?aire. In his 2003 biography of Chu Teh-chun, Zu Wei writes that in Juin 's opinion Chu rediscovered the distinctive strengths of Chinese calligraphy 's fluid beauty only after he had come into touch with the ole de Paris. Juin felt that Chu, who had originally been under the strong influence of the Fauvist movement, quickly adopted a calligraphic style of his own, in which one could already catch glimpses of the artist 's powerful imagery. In 1979, Le Mus de Poche published a monography titled Chu Teh-chun, which was also written by Hubert Juin. Juin also wrote biographies of contemporary artists Andr?Masson and Pierre Soulages.

The painting "No.207"was completed in 1965. On the back of the picture the painter wrote a dedication to his intimate friend Hubert Juin. Naturally, Chu had chosen a piece that he was well pleased with to give to his close companion, so appreciative of his work, as a token of their friendship. In that very same year, Juin analysed Chu Teh-chun's art of painting as follows:'Dans une éoque ou l'on se détourne de l' épaisseur du réel et des miracles du visible au profit de la pensée abstraite, de ses méandres dénudés et de ses rives désolantes, il est bon qu' n peintre renoue avec les véritables secrets de la beauté Il n'st de beautéque traquée, périssable, émouvante. Ce qu'l faut retenir, au rivage des temps, c'e st ce bref moment qui la voit apparître dans le même geste qui la fait fuir. Le surgissement est laconique.'(In the time when we detour to the dept of reality and the miracle of visibility by taking advantage of abstract concept, his denuded meanders and desolate sentiment. It 's good that a painter renounces with veritable secrets of the beauty. It 's not only tranquil beauty, but also perishable and touching. What he should catch, in the rivage of time, it 's this brief moment that a glance appears in the same gesture that is vanished. The suddenness is laconic.) (Hubert Juin, Chu Teh-chun, Le Musée de Poche, 1979, Paris, pp. 91-92) Juin found that Chu was particularly adept at catching the ephemeral beauty of transient phenomena, and that his persistence in pursuing this kind of'aesthetics of the evanescent'led him to develop the kind of terse brushstrokes and succinct style that he is so well-known for.

In 1960, Chu Teh-chun officially became a member of the École de Paris. At that time, his style was maturing rapidly, and he developed a predilection for largely monochromatic compositions. Chu realized that ink-and-wash techniques with their fluid effusion of colour were eminently suited for the creation of enchanting rhythms and gentle harmonies, and the application of this discovery further enriched his oil paintings. One critic, Li Jiming, has dubbed the years from 1963-1972 Chu 's'condensed colour period' writing about the paintings from those years:'In what I call the condensed colour period, Chu Teh-chun 's work breathes the spirit of China 's traditional philosophy of yinyang and the five elements ("y inyang wuxing" that stresses the close interaction between humanity and the forces of nature. Where the ground colour is black, covering almost the entire canvas, Chu will yet find some small space to apply exceedingly bright pastel tones. These brighter hues have an incredible density, as if illumined by a powerful light source and piercing directly through multiple layers of mist and vapour. While the main motif may be expressed in subdued and muddy shades, this is compensated for with dazzling, saturated hues that are applied here and there in small swabs to enhance our understanding of the image conveyed. Chu 's outstanding skill in the use of colour is generally acknowledged. Even the brightest red, the deepest sapphire or the freshest green are never allowed to dominate the entire composition, but are skillfully placed in a larger context. Even strongly contrasting or discordant hues will magically appear united in harmony under Chu 's delicate brushstrokes. Chu heaps layer upon layer of colour, as if filling up an ocean of possibilities with concrete shapes and motifs, rising like a hill in the painting 's centre of gravity, and sending out rays of fluid rhythm in all directions, effervescent and natural for all their elaborate sophistication.'(cf. Li Jiming,' Chu Teh-chun 's Road as a Painter' in Fine Art Studies 15: The China-Paris Connection. Studies on the First Generation of Chinese Painters in France, Taipei: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 1989, p. 121)

Just like"Composition No. 94 Rouge" which featured in Ravenel 's spring auction 2005, "No.207"is a representative piece from the'condensed colour period' Inspired by Song Dynasty landscape painters, Chu Teh-chun reinvented the structure of his panoramas. Chu 's rather introverted, reflective character is echoed in his painting style with its dense yet subdued and darkish colours spread out over large sections of the canvas, segueing imperceptibly into gyrating vortices, vibrating surfaces or gradually unfolding expanses. The artist 's earlier works are suffused with the quiet repose and understated, refined poesy of Chinese landscapes. Yet Chu does not resort to the traditional Chinese technique of liubai (representing features such as water and skies by leaving parts of the painting blank), but rather activates the whole plane of the canvas with deep, muted shades to create a unique atmosphere that mirrors every facet of the artist 's character-i ncluding his sublime appreciation of Chinese painting techniques and their far-reaching implications. After long years of absorption and sedimentation, this cultural heritage erupts, sublimated and modified by Chu 's strong individuality and keen artistic intuition, to find expression in paintings of magnificent force and momentum.

Chu Teh-chun 's paintings created quite a stir in Paris, and the impact he made on the art scene can also be seen in admiring comments such as that by French art critic J.-F. Chabrun, who once said that Chu was a'S ong Dynasty painter working in the 20th century.'Chu 's firmly established status can also be gauged from the frequent appearance of his work at important international exhibitions. By the end of the 60s, his reputation was such that his oeuvre was listed in the Italian Guida all' A rte Europea (Bugatti Editore) in 1969. Today, Chu continues to enjoy a high standing as one of the most important contemporary Chinese artists.