PROVENANCE:
Acquired by the present owner's father directly from the artist

EXHIBITED:
Chu Teh-chun 88 Retrospective , National Museum of History, Taipei, September 19- November 23, 2008

ILLUSTRATED:
To be included in the catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre prepared by the artist's studio.
This painting is to be sold with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist's wife, Ching-chao Chu.

Portrait d'un ami was created in 1953 before Chu Teh-chun left for France, when he was just 33 years old. This is a rare portrait where the background is depicted in the inverse to produce a sense of frozen time. It is instilled with a gentle and profound emotion. In 1951, Chu Teh-Chun held the first modern art exhibition Independent Modern Art Exhibition in Taiwan in collaboration with artists Li Zhong-Sheng, Liu Shi, Chao Chung-Hsiang, and Lin Sheng- Yang. This was to realize his dream of "being in line with modern art around the world". It was at this point that he started planning his move to France. In 1953, with the recommendation of Mr. Luo Jialun, he painted portraits of Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek, as well as many other historically themed works such as The 72 Martyrs of Huanghuagang for the art department of the National Museum of History. To finance his travels, he painted many portraits of historical figures. At the same time, he also created a few portraits for friends and certain collectors. It is likely that this piece was created during this period.

In 1954, Chu held his first solo exhibition and gained recognition in the Taiwanese art scene. More importantly, the sales mode during the exhibition was add to finance gave the funds he needed in order to travel to France. In 1955, Chu left Taiwan for Paris, passing through Hong Kong on the way. He arrived in Paris on May 5, 1955. In the beginning of his Paris period, Chu still created works in the representational style and painted several portraits. In 1955, on a ferry bound for Marseilles, Chu met Tung Ching-chao who was on her way to Spain for her studies and the two quickly fell in love. Later, they were married and Tung became Chu's lifelong partner. In 1956, Chu won an honorable mention at the Paris Salon with the portrait of Tung titled "Portrait of Ching-chao". In 1957, his second Portrait of Ching-Chao won the silver medal. This reveals that Chu's realism style also gained respect from the Parisian academics and art scene during that time; in short order, he also climbed to the top of France's mainstream art scene. From that point on, Chu created fewer and fewer representational works and turned all his attention to the study of abstract art.

Very few of Chu's works in the realism-representational styles have survived; this is true in both of his oil paintings and sketches. This Portrait dim ami, is depicted with tender brushstrokes full of emotions portrayed by his mature realism techniques. Moreover, this is one of the few pieces Chu created during his transition period before departing for France, making it all the more precious and unique.