Oil on board

45.5x30.5 cm. 18 x 12 in.

Dated on bottom right； signed in English on bottom center
PROVENANCE
Xiong Yuying, a disciple of Ting Yinyung from Guangdong, acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, Asia

Span across the West and East, Delve into the Ancient and Modern
The Freehand Oil Painting of Ding Yanyong
As an important pioneer of Chinese oil painting in the 20th century, Ding Yanyong's art was revelatory to the modernization of local oil painting. Growing up in Lingnan but different from the Lingnan School of Painting, having studied in Japan while distinguished from Western art language, Ding has become an art avant-courier at home and abroad with his unique artistic characteristics.
Greater Perfection of Oil Painting
From the 1930s to 1940s, oil painting was the mainstay of Ding's art creation. After moving to Hong Kong in 1949, he turned his focus and energy from oil painting to ink painting and seal carving, due to the arduous life and limited resource. As his student, Mo Yidian, recalls, Ding Yanyong often sketched on the same drawing board over and over again, one picture covering another, showing Ding Yanyong's constant pursuit and persistent diligence in art, as well as the small quantity of the work. Although only 135 pieces are left, each of them is an elaborated and excelsior masterpiece.
The work, Goldfish and Frog, was completed in 1965. It was collected by Ding's favorite female disciple, Xiong Yuying. Originally from Luoding city, Guangdong province, Xiong studied oil painting and traditional Chinese painting under Ding Yanyong in the 1960s. Ding has given works to his disciples as a memento, most of which were works on paper, thus an oil painting as a gift bears significant meaning. The Goldfish and Frog offered in the auction, is released for the first time in nearly half a century, presenting a rare chance for collectors.
The Lofty and Unyielding Literati Spirit Under the Freehand Brush
In the image of Goldfish and Frog, Ding Yanyong depicted the goldfish in the water and the frog on the top of the tank with expressive and free brushstrokes. The unbridled lines in a few brushstrokes perfectly shaped the body and spirit of the frog and the goldfish. The strokes bearing the extraordinary and refined features of Xu Wei, have brought out the incisive and vivid charm of oil painting； as to the depiction of imagery, the shapes of frog and goldfish are unadorned and abstract, conveying the unique charm of Bada Shanren （Ding was interested in the art of Bada Shanren since the 1930s）, with its temperament of “gold and stone” reflecting a strong artistic personality. As a common motif in traditional Chinese painting, the Fish imagery in Ding's work takes on the exquisite yet concise essence of Bada Shanren, as Zhang Daqian pointed out. Of the two fishes, one is positioned horizontally while the other vertically, looking vivid and charming. Emerging from the lines are the artistic conception of freehand brush and the literati spirit. While the frog above is standing upright, reminiscent of the Japanese ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai's precise depiction of the frog. Through flowing lines, Ding has brought to life a frog squinting at the fishes in the tank and looking proud, as if it had the literati spirit of "departing from the earthly world and being indulged in self-admiration." How startling!
Ding has created three oil paintings on the theme of "Goldfish and Frog". Comparing these three pieces, Goldfish and Frog presented this time is created with most complete and harmonious composition, as well as richer and brighter colors. Ingeniously, the artist placed the frog above the "virtual" frame, thus creating the distance with the goldfish in the water. The bright yellow background and the green frame form a sharp contrast with the black fish tank in the center, which creates a multi-layered space between the transition of different dimensions, building a sense of visual depth and an unadorned and sincere realm of painting.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,000,000 - 1,500,000
USD: 127,400 - 191,100

Auction Result:
HKD : 2,124,000