Ink and colour on paper

33 x 33.5 cm. 12 1/2 x 13 1/4 in.

Stamped with an artist's seal on bottom right

LITERATURE
1998, Pang Xunqin Paintings, People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, p. 146
2006, Pang Xunqin, Jiangsu Education Publishing, Nanjing, p. 305
PROVENANCE
Original Collection of artist's family
Chen Chuan Gallery, Taipei
Acquired by important present Asian collector from the above in 1996

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Yuan Yunyi, wife of Pang Xunqin

Paint the Leisure, Grow the Nature
The Representative Ink Paintings of Pang Xunqin Created in His Shandong Tour

“As a Chinese man living in the 20th century, I was forced to leave the classrooms and art world due to political reasons for some time. But I want tranquil in heart, and I want beauty in life and also pleasure in labour. Also, I want you to see some beauty, and to feel that there is still joy in our life.”
——Pang Xunqin

Known as the “Father of Chinese Modern Craft Art”, Pang Xunqin was admitted into the French Académie Julian in 1925. Five years in France enables him to have a thorough understanding about the western classicism and modernism. By 1930, he returned to China and taught in the Shanghai Art School, and the National Art School in Beiping (today's Beijing) later. After that, Pang worked as a commissioner of the Palace Museum and went to the southwest to research on the art of minorities in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. With Ni Yide, Pang initiated an art club named “Juelan Club”. The club was of great significance in China at that time, since it stirred the conservative art environment with its revolutionary exhibition. However, the error of the time forced him to leave for the farmland during the Cultural Revolution. He was forbidden from painting for a long time. Thus, only few paintings are created during 1949-1972 still last. When it came to 1973, he started to paint in a free spirit, and reached a perfect state in late 70s. This time we bring his Red Roof (Lot 108) and Suzhou Garden (Lot 109), which both are created during his visit to Shandong Province in 1977. Red Roof has been put in Pang's important painting albums published in 1998 and 2006. The other work comes with a certificate signed by Pang's wife. After Pang passed, most of his works have been donated to the art museum, so there are only few works still circulate in the market. Both works shown at this auction comes from the collection of the artist's family, and have been perfectly preserved in a private collector for over twenty years. Therefore, it is pretty rare to see them presented in the market this time, indicating their precious in value.

Dance in Grace, Wander in Peace

Pang's autobiography mentioned that he was introduced and arranged by Hua Junwu, the chief secretary of Chinese Artists Association in 1977 to visit and give lectures in the art schools in Shandong. He accidentally met another artist, Huang Yongyu, and thus painted in company with each other. For once, they together painted for three days without break. In that year, Pang picked up ink painting once again, and created the Red Roof and Suzhou Garden under that circumstances. The artpiece Red Roof vividly captures the “red tile and green tree” character of Qingdao architecture with coloured ink. Artist adapts a combination of the overlook and smooth inspection, and depicts the daily life with sharp and decisive lines. Red tiles pile up like a mountain range, and the plants in detail and green tree suggests an interesting life. The peaceful scene with no man but the light blue sky indicates a sense of comfort in the good time, which also reflects his mental status and pleasure after all those suffering. The colours used are carefully chosen to create a red-green contrast and combination. The rhythm of strokes is full of confident and freedom. In 1978, he once created a painting, named Red Roof (In Memory of Qingdao), with the similar composition, and it is collected by the National Art Museum of China. The colour of the later piece is simplified, which inversely highlights the rich colour in this work, Red Roof, as well as artist's fascination on this scenery.

Garden in Depth, Life in Growth

Suzhou Garden depicts a corner of a typical Chinese garden. In the black tiles and white walls garden scene, an outstanding rock on the right was featured, standing like a wise elder, old yet full of energy. By applying ink in varied darkness and strokes in dry and wet, artist maximizes the “change” in “repeat”, depicting the traces of time in such a scene and the art of nature as well. In the central, green bamboos are growing lively and wildly, breaking the regular lines presented by the architecture. Pang arranges bamboos from front to back along the S-shape footpath. The pleasing and light tune is decorated with repeating notes, while the green grass is created by fine and subtle strokes. This classic signature of Pang highly reminds people of his poem, “Grass, the common grass, is like all the other one on the lawn, with green and peace; Grass, in the days of drought, all burnt by sun, and seem to die within; Grass, with some drizzle, are reborn in hope. From ground, from root, and the new leaves are growing!” Through painting, Pang appreciates the most common life form, silent in the spring-winter turnover, yet persistent in living and growing.

Price estimate:
HKD: 400,000 – 600,000
USD: 51,600 – 77,400

Auction Result:
HKD: 849,600