Ink and colour on paper

30.5 x 32.5 cm. 12 x 12 3/4 in.

Inscribed and signed in Chinese with an artist's seal on bottom left
PROVENANCE
Original Collection of Cai Ruo Hong, the deputy head of the Chinese Paintings Research Academy in Beijing
26 Apr 1998, Christie's Hong Kong Spring Auction, Lot 189
27 Nov 2012, Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Auction, Lot 1282
Important Private Collection, Asia

An Artistic Disciple Lighting the Way
Human Nature Epics of Aesthetic Education Pioneer Lin Fengmian

Although painting lacks the narrative of the written word, the power of its silent poetry stands the test of time.
——Xu Wei

The figure paintings of Lin Fengmian went through a phase of gloomy romance in the 1920s, the baptism of humanism in the 1930s and formal expressionism more faithful to his own ideas in the 1950s - reflecting the sensitivities and honesty of a true pioneer, while also indicating the clarity of his artistic character.

Groundbreaking, Connecting Eastern and Western Art

As a young man Lin Fengmian grew up in an era in which Western ideas were being embraced in the East. As a result, he felt first hand the value conflicts and changes of thinking in modern society, which spurred a longing for the outside world and ensured the “conflict and fusion” of Eastern and Western culture remained central to Lin's art throughout his life. After returning to China, Lin was appointed to an important position at Beijing Art College and following Cai Yuanpei's call for “aesthetic education to replace religion,” sought to reconcile “classical and modern, local and Western,” in an effort to “fuse” cultural ideas originally considered “antithetical.” This involved the use of firm but indirect “ink lines,” simple and graceful “ink colors” to create classical images from Eastern and Western history. In terms of form, Lin chose a different path, adopting a “square array” infused with modern charm to replace traditional vertical and horizontal scrolls, showcasing a straightforward and decisive character in peaceful classical scenarios that highlighted the tension of the times in figure images constituted from rational geometric arrangements.

Lighting the Way for Chinese Aesthetic Education

Highlighting 'Humanitarian' Works from the 1950s

Picasso once said the “Crucifixion of Jesus” motif was a way of “understanding and expressing the original pain and desperation of human emotion.” Indeed, precisely because the subject matter has such profound meaning, most painters have avoided it. However, Lin Fengmian displayed no such fear, particularly as he had long since used art to reflect his observations and criticism of the real world. From the 1920s, Lin worked assiduously to develop a “humanitarian” perspective and after returning home sought to apply the Humanitarian ideas of Western philosophy to aesthetic teaching in China. In the 1950s, he created a series of works deeply imbued with spiritual power that revolved around “humanism,” but these were destroyed during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. The Passion of Christ (Lot 34) on auction comes from the same creative pulse, a theme seen in only two other works by the artist over more than 14 years. In other words, this painting is only the third to appear on the market focused on this extremely rare subject matter out of more than 1,000 ink paintings by Lin, emphasizing its unique importance.

In 1951, in a struggle with the Academic Art clique, 52-year old Lin was removed from his position as Dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the following year moved to Shanghai. It was during this financially challenging time that Lin, ignoring hardship, painted as a way of detailing his faith in art and life and it was in 1953, against this backdrop, that he completed Passion of Christ. This work runs counter to the mainstream aestheticism and sentimentality of Chinese painting at that time, with the artist pouring his passion into the brush strokes and using the suffering of the “Savior” as an allusion to the coming “new life.”

A Witness to Reform and Exploration

In the 1950s, after Lin Fengmian moved to Shanghai he was deeply influenced by the operatic figure paintings of Guan Liang. At the same time, his own figure paintings started to display the stylistic leanings of Western Cubism, using geometric constructs and blocks of color to highlight dynamic changes in his subjects, infusing traditional characters with a new found energy and vitality. This trait is particularly pronounced in Passion of Christ, most noticeably in the crafting of the two nuns in the lower left part of the painting. This differs from his Crucifixion of Christ in the 1980s in which Lin adopted the delicate feminine features of “classical female” paintings. In this instance, the geometric cuts of different shaped blocks highlight the line tension, thereby creating sharper and more powerful self-emotion. With the pressure that came from the politicization of ideology, such strong emotions are far less evident in his later works. As such, this painting is a clear testament to Lin Fengmian's constant journey of exploration throughout the creative process. Indeed, his attitude was almost one of “redemption” as he anticipated the “Renaissance” for which he longed.

An Unshakeable Faith

In Passion of Christ Lin Fengmian dilutes the romantic atmosphere and beautiful charm often seen in his earlier figure paintings. Viewers can see the arms of Jesus nailed to the cross lifelessly hanging down, even though his legs are still kicking. His head on which sits the crown of thorns is tilted to the side and together with the pained expression on his face conveys a compassionate humanitarian feel. The cold and rational blue tone is similar to that used by Marc Chagall in Persecution and dispels the religious fanaticism of traditional paintings, displaying instead a deep awareness of life. The eye-catching “revelatory” light behind the cross and the way it radiates through the oppressive gloomy scene, almost breaks through the confines of the painting. It goes straight to the human heart and lights up the world as if heralding a “New World” after the rebirth of Christ, as the golden rays of light imbue the cold scene with a glimmer of warmth. In 1950s China, Lin Fengmian faced a situation not dissimilar to the plight of Christ on the cross and in this powerful single-point focus composition he places the persecuted Jesus in the depths of the painting, as both a depiction and confession of his own inner pain and suffering.

Between East and West, Imbuing Ancient Charm with New Found Beauty

If this solemn and powerful religious figure could be said to clash with Western tradition, then Lin's paintings of women more clearly embrace ancient Eastern rhymes. In Bathing Lady (Lot 33), he uses graceful ink lines to portray a naked woman sitting upright in her boudoir. This work not only retains the compositional features of Lin Fengmian's figure paintings, it is also imbued with the classical elegance and charm of the Western “reclining Venus” motif and apparently a modern interpretation of Tiziano Vecellio's Venus with a Mirror. The artist employs his standard “square matrix” to construct the balanced, symmetrical space of the boudoir while the woman sits in the middle of the work, the curtains on either side providing a sense of order to the space. The sweeping “dry brush strokes” showcase the transparency of the water color, as if the picture is permeated with radiant and enchanting spring light that softens the cold hues of the environment to create a simple scene and poetic beauty replete with Eastern sentimentality. This work comes from the collection of Cai Ruohong, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting who was a friend of Lin Fengmian and over the years received several ink paintings from the artist as gifts, one of which was Lady.

Price estimate:
HKD: 550,000 – 650,000
USD: 70,000 – 83,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 649,000