Provenance:
Christie’s Hong Kong, Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings, 26 April 1998, part of lot 189
Christie’s Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Modern Paintings, 26-27 November 2012, Lot 1282

I ENJOY TANG AND SONG CERAMICS, ESPECIALLY SONG WORKS AND I USE THESE AS A SORT OF INSPIRATIONS AND TECHNIQUES IN THE PAINTING.

- LIN FENG MIAN

The present lot (lot x) is dedicated to Cai Ruohong (1910 - 2002), a native of Jiangxi who graduated from the oil painting department at the Shanghai Meizhuan. Cai was a noted artist and a social activist, he had held various prominent positions in the promotion of Chinese arts such as the art editor of the People's Daily Renmin Ribao, the deputy head of the Cultural Affairs Art Department and later as the vice-chairman of the CAA. He was also the deputy head of the Chinese Paintings Research Academy.

The fluid and sparing lines forming the silhouette of Lin Fengmian's seated nude is reminiscent of Amedeo Modigliani's portrait depiction of woman's femininity (Fig.1). While physical attributes such as the simplified features and slender neck resemble the depictions of apsaras found in the ancient Chinese murals in Dunhuang, the air of elegance deviating from the feminine posture of the nude is likely to have been adopted from the art of Chinese ceramic. A discipline that the artist incorporated into his work, I enjoy Tang and Song ceramics, especially Song works and I use these as a sort of inspirations and techniques in the painting. Lin's incorporation of a thin wash of ink in the background accentuates the overlaid of wavy lines that guides the viewer's eye towards the central nude, strengthening the two-dimensional quality of the composition and simultaneously conveying a sense of proximity. In essence, the present lot captivates the seated nude in a moment of serene harmony, which is an inimitable hallmark of the timeless aesthetic apparent in Lin's work.