Ink and color on paper

138×69 cm 54 3/8×27 1/8 in

Signed in Chinese with one artist’s seal on upper right
PROVENANCE
Collection of Mr. Jiang Zhongren， friend of Ding Yanyong
May 2006， Christie’s Hong Kong Fine Modern Chinese Painting Auction， Lot 755
Important private collection， AsiaMoving towards the modern，
moving towards the self

In 1929， Ding Yanyong’s art reached a critical turning point. That year， he was responsible for preparations at the Guangzhou Museum of Art. He encountered paintings by Chinese ink masters Bada Shanren ， Shitao， and Jin Nong and was awed by the art work in front of him. He felt that Bada had the ability to vividly convey the spirit of an image through simple strokes， a skill that exceeded many Western painters of that time. From that point on， he delved deeply into the study of ink. In his view， “Learning from the ancients does not take me backwards down the path， but instead is an attempt to explore the modern significance in front of me. This road does not necessarily lead to Westernization.” Yanyong developed his own understanding and artistic approach derived from copy painting， and attempted to incorporate oil paintings’ unrestrained use of color into the ink and wash painting. This convergence of China and the west in his art allowed Yanyong to reach the second pinnacle of his life. His ink creations of the 1960’s rounded out his maturity as an artist， and his work Farewell My Concubine completed in 1977 serves as a typical exemplification of his sophisticated techniques with ink and color.
Highly sophisticated painting technique saturated with the wisdom of life
In the later years of his career， Ding Yanyong’s character-themed works depicted scenes of history， folk legends， and traditional opera stories. In this work， through his vivid use of ink， color， and smooth and confident lines， he depicted a military officer holding out a sword with a woman on one side tugging on the officer in persuasion. The characters in the painting are portrayed with distinct personalities， one strong and the other delicate， one painted in heavy ink and the other painted in a traditional line-drawing style with pink coloring， all lending to a dramatic tension between strength and weakness， weight and lightness. The inscription about the painting， which reads “There is no need for Xiang Yu to ascend himself to the throne； the glorious victory of the Battle of Julu is enough to make him one of the greatest heroes in history，” provides us with a guide to identifying the characters in the picture. The main protagonist is Xiang Yu， the notable leader of the Battle of Julu who destroyed Qin forces. He rose to become the Warlord of Western Chu and possessed the power of an emperor. Ding took an exaggerative and witty approach to the scene， vividly portraying the officer’s wild ambition and domineering and brave character. But then there is Consort Yu on one side， trying to persuade him to refrain from his endless and crazy pursuit of power and prestige. Ding was 75 years old when he created this painting， and he was perhaps intended to express his feelings towards his own life so as to infuse this piece with additional layers of meaning. His unique form of expression introduces a breath of fresh air into modern portrait ink painting.

Price estimate:
HKD: 300,000 – 500,000
USD: 38,500 – 64,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 413,000