Ink and colour on paper

33 x 43.5 cm. 12 1/2 x 17 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese on upper left

LITERATURE
1995, The Art of Pan Yuliang, National Museum of Taiwan History, Taipei, p.120
2013, Anhui Wenbo, Anhui Museum, He Fei, P.9
EXHIBITED
14 Oct – 26 Nov 1995, Exhibition of Sanyu and Pan Yuliang's Works, National Museum of Taiwan History, Taipei

PROVENANCE
6 Oct 2009, Sotheby's Hong Kong Autumn Auctions, Lot 534
Private Collection, Asia

Combining Yin and Yang, Expressing Ideas through Physical Essence
'Naked Beard Man'——Rare Colored Ink Painting of a Male Subject by Pan Yuliang

In early 20th Century China, the May 4th Movement in 1919 not only represented a break with the feudal past and a movement towards democracy, it also set in motion a far-reaching reform movement in modern Chinese art. With the support of Beijing University President Cai Yuanpei, large numbers of students, led by Xu Beihong, Shan Yu, Wu Dayu, Guan Liang and others studied art overseas and later played an important role in establishing a foundation for modern Chinese aesthetics. Pan Yuliang first appeared on the art scene at a time when Western painting was making gradual headway in the East. Characterized as a “first generation female master” by Liu Haisu and a “heroine” by Xu Beihong, she was also the first female Chinese painter to live and work in the art world of Europe.

Pan was born in Jiangsu Province in 1895. Both her parents died when she was young and facing financial difficulties her uncle sent her to work in a brothel. It was only after the man who would become her husband, Pan Zanhu, bought her freedom that she was able to pursue her interest in art. Thereafter, Pan came first in the entrance exam for the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and later received a pubic scholarship to travel to Europe, which marked the beginning of a magnificent artistic career overseas. From 1937-1977, Pan lived in France, during which time she received 21 art awards, with her works being shown at popular salon exhibitions and national art museums on 47 occasions. Indeed, her sculptures were collected by Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the first piece the museum ever collected by a female Asian artist. She was also the first Chinese artist to have works collected by the Louvre Museum. Pan was lauded by Parisian art circles as “one of the best Chinese Western painters.”

Seeking Oneself in the Past, Creating Outstanding Art: Only Colored Ink Male Figure on the Market

One of the central painting motifs embraced by Pan Yuliang throughout her artistic career was “body painting” and she was the first Chinese female painter to use naked models, though during her time as a student in Shanghai a dispute broke out over the use of such models. Pan was deeply influenced by the words of Principal Liu Haisu who supported “striving for freedom, progress and innovation” and she set a personal example by embracing those ideas in her attitude to art and life. As such, the artist continually broke with social norms, but it was only after finding a place in the art world of Paris that she finally found a stage on which she could freely express herself.

When Pan returned to China in the early 1930s, Liu Haisu urged her not to focus on the naturalist expression of Western painting but rather imbue it with more of the imagination that informed Chinese painting. Inspired by such comments, in 1932 Pan began to diligently study calligraphy and the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden, attempting to use traditional Chinese line depictions to portray the human body. From that point colored ink was a medium she used for the rest of her life. Her colored ink paintings reached maturity during the 1940s and in the 1950s developed still further attaining a peak of boundless freedom.

The spring auction offering of Naked Beard Man was painted in this period and is based on the relatively rare subject matter of the “male body.” Indeed, Pan painted only 11 works focused on this motif, all but the auctioned work being part of the Anhui Museum Collection. Moreover, many of those paintings are a mixture of male and female forms, in only five works is the male body the sole focus. In addition, Naked Beard Man is the only colored ink work on the market that depicts a central figure and background, making it a rare and invaluable treasure that records the multifaceted creative talent of Pan Yuliang.

Unique Combinations of East and West: Colored Ink Body Painting Master

In Naked Beard Man Pan Yuliang depicts a man in a sitting position, the thick beard, hair and clear facial features framing his personality, but it is very different to the fulsome and self confident female forms she usually painted. In this work, Pan uses rigorous Western style to showcase the strong and powerful male body, while employing indirect Chinese lines to depict its flowing exterior form. The combination of lines that are thick and rough, indistinct/clear, light and heavy, with transition strokes, details the rich changes of the body, highlighting the artist's impressive foundation in Western sketching and well-honed ink painting skills. In this work, Pan uses a pale brown wash hue to highlight the structure and skin texture of the body, the “hardness tempered by softness” of male vigor and female introspection representing a fusion of Eastern and Western body aesthetics. In terms of the background, the artist uses the iconic ink method, accumulating overlapping layers of fine black ink lines and green brushstrokes, smudged to create the mottled texture of Western painting in a departure from traditional ink painting, which leaves large parts of paintings blank. This enables Pan to craft a personalized aesthetic appeal that is light and simple, solid and colorful. This approach also creates a depth of space and multiple changes in light that highlight the central figure, combining the iconic floating light rhythm of the Impressionist School as seen in Claude Monet's Impression – Sunrise with the tranquil scenes of Chinese literati landscape paintings. If we take away the old style of traditional ink painting then the simple and honest body expression of Western painting together with the flow of colored ink is transformed into forms of lightness and grace. The artist uses her imagination to convey a dichotomous visual experience that is rooted in ancient Eastern mystery and modern Western boldness.

Self Confident Look, Pure in Intent: Self Projection of the Soul

“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.”
——Friedrich Nietzsche

In 1957, Pan Yuliang welcomed good friend Zhang Daqian who was in Paris for a solo exhibition at the Louvre. On seeing Pan's recent colored ink works Zhang was full of praise and happily wrote an inscription on one of the pieces. After receiving such effusive encouragement Pan's artistic vision became increasingly broad. She broke with the limits imposed on female subject matter and turned her attention to the male body on which few female artists focused, reflecting an independent woman's never-ending search for gender equality. In Nake Bearded Man the model self confidently looks directly in front, his thick full beard, and hair showcasing life features and vitality. The pose the figure adopts, with the palm of his hand pressed down on the floor, together with the lightness of the ink lines, highlight masculinity and appeal, while his steadfast expression reflects the female artist's focus on equality. This represents the self projection of “soul,” but it is also a declaration of independence on the part of the body.

Moreover, Pan Yuliang's general sense of calm and self confidence was rooted in the many artistic accolades she received after years honing her skills and steely determination to succeed. In 1950s Paris, Pan created a brand new artistic life for herself and in the same year she painted Naked Beard Man(1957) received the Thornet Award from the University of Paris, the first female artist to ever receive the honor. Also in 1957, Pan held a large solo exhibition at the renowned Galerie D'orsay in Paris which was widely acclaimed. In the painting the semi-reclining position of the male figure is planned, but it could also be an image of self confidence left behind by Pan Yuliang after finally proving her artistic ideals.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,200,000 – 1,800,000
USD: 154,800 – 232,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 2,124,000