Ink and color on paper

44 × 34.3 cm. 17 3/8 x 13 1/2 in.

Stamped with one artist’s seal on upper left; dated and signed in Chinese with one artist’s seal on middle right
PROVENANCE
Acquired by present Asian collector from Shanghai Arts and Crafts Import and Export Co., Ltd by the end of the 1960s

Marrying Impressionism and Traditional Ink-Wash Painting
The Operatic Works of Guan Liang
“Life gives me inspiration, and in turn I inject life with new energy.”
—Guan Liang
Guan Liang was born in Guangdong and went abroad to pursue his studies in Japan when he was 17. At the time, the Japanese painter Kuroda Seiki integrated the techniques and spirit of Western Impressionism into his teachings, bringing new life to the Japanese art world. During his studies at the Tokyo Art School, Guan forged a unique style inspired by modern painters like Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Matisse, becoming one of the first painters to bring Western Modernism back to China. Upon his return, through his interactions with masters of traditional Chinese painting such as Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, and Pan Tianshou, Guan Liang developed a strong interest in ink-wash painting. Meanwhile, he discovered striking similarities between the exaggerated character portrayals of Chinese opera and certain forms of expression in Western painting. This in turn inspired him to incorporate the subject matter and aesthetic of Chinese operas into his works as a means of breaking free from the restrictive conventions of traditional Chinese portraits.
Like a Diamond in the Rough: the Unpretentious yet Masterful Brushwork of Good Spring
The two works up for auction this spring were both completed by the artist in the 1960s and 70s. In comparison to works from the beginning of his career, these two paintings feature more mature brushwork as well as prominent characteristics of the time period in which they were produced. Good Spring (Lot 651) is one of the few portraits by Guan Liang that is not based on an opera. It depicts a common scene from daily life in rural China: a farmer cutting up grass to feed his pig. Guan Liang deliberately simplifies the background of his painting, instead devoting his ink to portraying the main subject: a well-built young man wearing homespun work clothes and a white apron around his waist, focusing intently as he chops grass for his pig on an earthen stove. The black and white pig in the bottom right corner looks upward as it awaits its meal, completing this cozy and idyllic scene. Perhaps owing to the influence of Western Modernism, Guan Liang chooses to portray the subject using simple lines. While some details may appear random, they add to the narrative and soul of the work. For example, the downward curve of the young man’s eyebrow and his eye portrayed with the tip of the brush effectively convey his degree of concentration, while at the same time complementing the upturned tail and snout of the pig as well as its upward gaze.
Guan Liang shakes off many of his contemporaries’ proclivity for “form over feeling” in favor of simple and unaffected lines. Although his brushwork may appear unsophisticated, it comes together to create elegant and moving scenes. On the paper, quick and similar-looking brushstrokes naturally coordinate with one another, producing endless depth and beauty.
Portraying Spirit through Form:
The Exuberance of the Monkey King in Guan Liang’s Opera Figures
Guan Liang’s works portraying Sun Wukong (also known as the Monkey King) were primarily completed from the middle of the late Cultural Revolution to the beginning of the 1980s. In particular, Guan Liang devoted much ink and paper to reimagining the scene of Sun Wukong defeating the “white bone demons”. These ink paintings have since become his most well-known and acclaimed works. The painting up for auction, Opera Figures(Lot 652), is a good example. In this work, Sun Wukong leaps down from the top right corner, posing like a pheasant standing on one foot while swinging his famous “golden-hooped rod” at the white bone demon who recoils in the bottom left corner. The demon lies on the ground, forehead furrowed and brows upturned, a helpless expression in his eyes as he attempts to shield himself from the Monkey King’s rod with his left arm. This feeble gesture contrasts starkly with Sun Wukong’s forceful stance, further emphasizing the demon’s hopeless predicament. Sun Wukong’s form is depicted in minimal detail with flowing brushstrokes. His clothing is colored with light yellow ink in different degrees of opacity that reinforce the sense of movement. In the middle of the Monkey King’s face is a shape like an upturned peach that the artist has filled in using vibrant red ink. His eyes shine out from within this shape, becoming the visual center of the image.
Arresting Expressions that Channel Traditional Culture
In wudaxi (or “acrobatic fighting dramas”), a popular genre of Chinese opera, actors must not only complete dazzling feats of agility and dexterity, but also physically portray the spirit of their characters through movement and expression. In this process, the eyes play a fundamental role. Guan Liang uses a variety of shapes and lines — straight or slanted, round or square — to depict his subjects’ eyes in a way that effectively conveys their inner sentiments. In Opera Figures, Sun Wukong’s eyes are round and wide open; one can sense his fury in his downward gaze. This adds to the overall tension of the work, creating a thrilling spectacle for the viewer.
Guan Liang spent much time sketching opera actors at the theater as a means of finding new material and experimenting with different forms of expression using ink. Furthermore, he personally studied different opera acting techniques to familiarize himself with the emotional and physical characteristics of various archetypes. He then took the information that opera actors generally convey through their movements and found a way to express it in the eyes of the characters he painted. Through this unique artistic language, Guan Liang was able to carry on the spirit of traditional Chinese culture amidst a wave of modernization.

Price estimate:
HKD: 55,000 - 85,000
USD: 7,100 - 10,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 377,600