Oil on canvas

61 × 72.5 cm. 24 x 28 1/2 in.

Titled, dated and signed in Chinese on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by present Asian collector from the artist

The Moving Sights of the Seine
Luo Erchun’s Grand Palais
Luo Erchun was praised by the fine arts world as “the most accomplished xiě yì (寫意) painter of our time”, xiě yì being a genre of traditional Chinese painting that bears similarities to Western Impressionism. Luo studied at Suzhou Art Academy under the auspices of Yan Wenliang. The Art Academy’s curriculum, which comprised courses in traditional Chinese painting as well as in classical European art, allowed Luo to develop toward a solid grounding in the theories and techniques of painting. He was deeply influenced by Van Gogh, as reflected in his use of vivid colors and coarse brushwork, and in the 1960s, Luo gradually identified rural customs and culture as the central subject matter of his work and forged his own unique and enchanting style.
In 1988, the then director of the Hefner Gallery in New York made two trips to Beijing, during which he visited Luo Erchun and invited him to travel abroad to view Western art in the flesh. Luo accepted and made the first of many journeys in 1992, and from then onward, he held a number of exhibitions every year in both China and abroad. The works he created in France demonstrate how travelling broadened his horizons and bolstered his ambitions. Grand Palais (Scenery along the Seine) is representative of this growth.
A Colorful Homage to the Natural World
Whereas most of the edifices in the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées are closer to white in color, the artist has deliberately chosen to paint them a dark shade of brown to emphasize their grandeur. These buildings are reflected in the Seine in shades of navy, indigo, and emerald, calling to mind the work of Monet. The quiet surface of the water exudes a certain mystery. The sturdy palace wall is depicted in quick and forceful vertical brushstrokes, with flourishes of pitch black, yellow, and sky blue creating the effect of shadows and mottled sunlight. Meanwhile, on the right side of the canvas, a dazzling golden statue sits atop a stone pillar, emanating a light that draws in one’s focus. This statue symbolizes Paris’s prosperity and magnificence since the beginning of the 20th century. When painting the sky, the artist demonstrates his proclivity of using Gogh-like swirling brushstrokes that give the clouds the fluffy appearance of cotton. This aspect of the scenery is perhaps one thing that Luo found in common between the streets of Paris and the rural landscapes of East Asia, and the vibrant colors of the sky imbue the work with an irrepressible jubilance.

Price estimate:
HKD: 250,000 - 350,000
USD: 32,100 - 44,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 295,000