Water colour on paper

65 x 47.5 cm.25 5/8 x 18 3/4 in.

Signed，titled，dated and inscripted on the right side
PROVENANCE　Private Collection，U.S.


Wang Jiyuan
1893-1975
In Shanghai of 1920s, Wang Jiyuan was a famous oil painter and watercolorist, he produced fruitful results both in creation and teaching theory, he was active in Shanghai art world, proactively participated in the promotion of the development of the “new art” in China. In 1920 he and other painters including Liu Hai-Su initiated the establishment of the Western painting group “Tien Ma Society”, later he served as a Professor of Shanghai College of Fine Arts and Director of Painting Institute. During the period of teaching in Shanghai College of Fine Arts, he seriously edited, painted and compiled a watercolor textbook, for each teaching material he detailedly described various steps from contouring, shading to coloring. In 1930s Ni Yi-De, Wang Chi-Yuan and Pang Xun-Qin initiated to organize the Juelan Society and became the first group for introducing Western Modernism and modern design art, focusing on learning from modern Western painting schools and trying to explore the development road of modern Chinese art, this brought a new atmosphere for painting world at that time. During Sino-Japanese War he left China for the United States in 1940, founded the School of Chinese Brushwork to teach Chinese painting and calligraphy. Proficient in both Eastern and Western arts Wang Jiyuan had made important contributions for Chinese art’s exploration of modernist art and overseas promotion of Chinese traditional art.

Study in Japan in his early years, Wang Jiyuan is quite exquisite for the use of lines, the artist’s exploration and study of portrait modeling can be seen from a number of sketches of “Nudes”. The deformed nude bodies in these sketches contain the influence of the representative figure (Henri Matisse) of Fauvism of Modernism in Western art, showing that Wang Jiyuan is committed to exploring differences between Eastern and Western arts and cultures, and he has a broad bosom for Western arts and cultures. Wang Jiyuan’s brush skills are sparse and ethereal, and pretty, easy and elegant, coloring skills are warm, sleek and generous, and refreshing and smooth like jade, as if the thin and light smudges of light and shadow in “Nudes”, Wang Jiyuan’s works demonstrate grace and elegant artistic charm compared to brightly colored oil paintings.

Price estimate:
HKD：8,000 - 12,000
USD：1,030 - 1,550

Auction Result:
HKD: 92,000