Ink on paper

178 × 96 cm. 70 1/8 × 37 3/4 in.

Inscribed, dated, signed in Chinese with an artist's stamp on upper left
PROVENANCE
Previous Collection of Wong Yik-Ho, a disciple of Ting Yinyung
Private Collection, Asia

“The spirit of ‘harmony' has been pursued in the East since ancient times, and has deeply influenced the aesthetic view of the East, which has been pursuing the unity of man and society, man and nature since ancient times. It's manifested in art through personal experience, comprehension and expression, showing an eternal, free realm that is not detached from reality but transcends reality.”
--Peng Xiuyin, Chinese art historian

In the context of globalization, understanding one's cultural strengths and characteristics, and adding new creations out of tradition are the key elements for moving forward. Eastern artists have been nourished by their ethnicity, history, traditional humanistic aesthetics, Confucianism and Laozhuang philosophy. Since the beginning of the 20th century, they have developed unique and rich contexts for their creative works and innovative aesthetic expressions, which have made them stand out in the world art landscape. In the East, for example, we talk about transcendence, showing the essence of things; we talk about “the unity of nature and man”, chanting the beauty of nature and life and how “everything in the world is a song”, expressing our feelings and will, believing simplicity surpasses complexity; and in the aesthetics of calligraphy, we study the expression and tension of the lines to the utmost, and the emotion contained in strokes. All of them are exceptional, valuable and touching qualities. This year, Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art Autumn Auction presented by China Guardian Hong Kong features Eastern Aesthetics, a curated section focusing on the leading artist in this segment, as well as works by Western artists influenced by Eastern aesthetics. Presenting a feast of works by 16 modern and contemporary artists including Lin Fengmian, Wu Dayu, Ting Yinyung, Wu Guanzhong, Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, Yayoi Kusama, Georges Mathieu, among many others.

Unprecedented and Renovated
The Pinnacle of Ting Yinyung's Creation

“The use of ink and brush must be sharp and calm to bring out the subtlety and to produce a work that is full of spirit and energy.”
—— Ting Yinyung

After returning to China in 1925, Ting began his study of the brushwork of the traditional ink masters and came to a profound realization of the similarities between the spirit of the Eastern literati and the Western modern art forms. He incorporated Bada Shanren's expressive lines and rhythms into Western modern art, creating a distinctive style. After moving to Hong Kong in 1949, he shifted his focus from oil painting to ink and seal engraving. Eventually, the three became compatible, creating an artistic path that blends the past with the present, straddles East and West.

After nearly forty years of working, Ting finally reached the peak of his ink paintings in the 1970s. This autumn auction, for the first time, presents six rare ink pieces created in the heyday of Ting, recalling his humorous and curious return to childishness.

C. C. Wang's Treasure Collection
The Infrequent Album Leaves of Landscape

The Album Leaves of Landscape (Lot29) is one of only four Ting's landscape albums that have been on the market for thirty years. It comes from the collection of Chi-Chien. Wang, an internationally renowned collector of Chinese painting and calligraphy. This work was inscribed by him.

Completed in the early 1970s, this volume contains all of Ting's representative landscape paintings. The symbolic trees and rocks in the paintings combine traditional Chinese brush lines with Western modern style. The paintings are mostly drawn with rough strokes, and the dots and lines are smooth, showing a confident and carefree attitude. The short, dry, and broken strokes highlight the artist's pursuit of “primitive”, thus becoming a rebellion against the transcendent of traditional landscape painting.

All eight paintings use blue tones, brick red, and tea yellow to balance the color tones, making the landscape of the earth and the sky bleak while revealing the artist's state of mind after years of being away from his hometown through the changes in color tones, concealing a touch of helplessness and loneliness. In particular, in “Bodhidharma meditating facing a cliff”, the artist's profound understanding of the Buddhist doctrine “roundness” is cleverly presented. The spiritual image of Zen is innovatively interpreted with Matisse-like full and powerful personal colors.

Sketchy but Exquisite
The Essence of Animal Subjects from the 1960s to the 1970s

Riding Red Carp (Lot28), painted in 1976, was created by Ting for his disciple Zhang Linglin (Chung Ching), who was a famous actress in Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s. In the center of the painting, a plump but athletic carp with large eyes and an upturned eyeball, giving it the style of the Bada Shanren. The artist's use of lines and changes in ink colors create a dynamic image of a man surfing along with a carp and an endless vibrancy to the painting. As he enters his later years of life, Ting wanders freely in the world of art, transforming his humor and understanding of life into the majesty of his brush, soaring between heaven and earth, and leaving his disciples with the sincere blessing and a rakish attitude.

Joy of Magpie(Lot26) and Pine and Crane(Lot27), painted in 1965 and 1972 respectively, are both large. In the former, a magpie stands at the top of a rocky outcrop, seemingly with a powerful presence. But when its white eyes are turned toward the sky, it expresses vivaciousness. The brisk strokes instantly make it different from the poetic mood of traditional landscape paintings. The composition of “Pine and Crane” is simple rather than complicated, and the main character, the long-beaked white crane, has a forceful look. The energy in the painting makes the crane not only has the tact of Bada Shanren but also has the freedom of Xu Wei and the simplicity of Jin Nong. Despite Ting's old age, his work is still full of vigor. As the old saying goes, “the pines and cranes symbolize longevity”. Both paintings carry the symbolic meaning of longevity and good fortune.

The most characteristic feature of Ting's animal paintings is that they are not realistic, but simple and vivid; they are not beautiful, but strange - this is especially evident in the cats he paints. For example, in Tigerish Cat (Lot24), a half-tiger, half-cat animal appears in the center of a large background. Its bright eyes are looking straight ahead, make it animated and innocent. The cat and tiger's paws are outlined in small strokes, while the tail is swept in large strokes, forming a visual suggestion of the tigerish cat dashing away. The poem in the upper left reinforces the worldliness of the work, highlighting Ting's worldly wisdom.

One Stroke Cat (Lot25) is an expression of his lifelong pursuit of brushstrokes, and it speaks of the creative expression of transcendent objects through one stroke painting, which is a single brushstroke that connects all parts of the painting. If you look closely, you can sense that the speed, the weight, and the changes in the intensity of the brushstrokes, are the result of a thousand refinements, just proofs his self-proclaimed “Bada Shanren has no such madness, and Shi Tao has no such boldness” true.

Price estimate:
HKD: 50,000 - 80,000
USD: 6,400 - 10,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 72,000