Oil on canvas

36.5 × 59.5cm. 14 3/8 x 23 3/8 in.

Signed in Chinese on bottom left

LITERATURE
1997, Paintings of Hu Shanyu, Dunhuang Art Co. Ltd., Taipei, p.8 and 25
PROVENANCE
22 Nov 2010, Beijing Chengxuan Autumn Auction, Lot 719
Private Collection, Asia

A Marriage of Impressionism and Realism
During his studies in France, Hu Shanyu came into contact with the latest movements and theories in Western painting. He and other Chinese expats such as Wu Guanzhong collectively developed a style fusing East and West in order to become trailblazers of Chinese modern art.
In his work Overlook from Coal Hill, Hu paints a panoramic view of a modern city. In the foreground, the hill’s luxuriant foliage takes up close to half of the canvas. Among the trees, one can make out a Chinese-style pagoda and, farther away, what appears to be a palace. These unexpected elements add the romanticism and tranquility of a classical Chinese garden to this otherwise modern scene. The jumble of urban buildings extends far into the distance, giving a sense of the breadth and majesty of the city. Meanwhile, the stark contrast between foreground and background sets off the beauty of the hillside while at the same time hinting at a harmonious coexistence of human-made and natural elements in contemporary society.
Where the use of color is concerned, Hu creates the underlayer of the image using both opaque color blocks as well as diluted oil paints that have the translucent quality of aquarelle. In this way, he gives common scenery such as the hillside foliage, the pagoda, and the urban buildings a sturdy and clearly defined appearance reminiscent of works by Cézanne. Meanwhile, the influence of Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas is evident in Hu’s alternation between dry and wet brushstrokes when painting crisp lines in the foreground as well as his contrasting use of bright colors on the Chinese buildings and duller colors on the urban scenery in the background. Furthermore, by incorporating the traditional Chinese technique of creating depth and variety of space through the use of contrasting hues such as yellow and green or red and blue, Hu masterfully fuses Chinese aesthetics with the expressiveness of Western oil painting.

Price estimate:
HKD: 185,000 - 285,000
USD: 23,700 - 36,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 224,200