Ink and colour on paper

69 × 69 cm. 27 1/8 × 27 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese with an artist's seal on bottom left
PROVENANCE
Original Collection of Xi Suhua, disciple of Lin Fengmian
Acquired directly by former collector in 1992 from the above
5 Oct 2013, Poly Hong Kong Autumn Auction, Lot 116
Acquired directly by present private important Asian collector from the above

Live One Transcendent Life Though There's a Storm
Clouds Over Homeland, an Important Collection of Lin Fengmian's Disciple


“I was born in a mountainous village with exceptionally beautiful scenery. When I was a child, I had a habit of walking and playing beside the fast flowing streams, in the valleys and in the woods. This beautiful memory given to me by nature was deeply engraved in my heart. I often recall the trees and rocks of my hometown, the pebbles laid under the stream, the clouds floating in the air, the breath of plants, and the ramblings of the flowing water, all of which are still vivid to me even today. These memories, even though it has been more than half a century, continue to evoke new shapes and images in my mind.”
——Lin Fengmian, 1963

Lin's paintings, from the Goose the Autumn Scenery series, have their origins in the West Lake, the former site of the Hangzhou National College of Art, which was Lin Fengmian's other “homeland”. Since the late 1950s, Lin Fengmian has been particularly fond of depicting autumn scenes in his paintings, and his works have been extremely compelling. In this auction, we present a masterpiece of autumn scenery series with solid provenance-- Clouds Over Homeland from the collection of Lin's disciple, Xi Suhua. It reveals the artistic inspiration of the master's fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics.

The Blending of Color and Ink

In the 1950s, Lin Fengmian went to the Tianping Mountain in Suzhou to sketch, and began to introduce the light of sunset into his paintings. Through the contrast between light and dark, the transparency of ink blended with the saturated colour, thus establishing a new artistic language. In 1960, Lin became the vice-chairman of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Artists Association and held his first solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, which were very well received by the audience. The brightness of the painting reflects the openness of his mood. The work's iconic “square paper array”, in which rich colors radiate outward from the center, creates a strong visual impact: in the evening at the turn of summer and autumn, the houses by the creek, hidden in the mountains, appear more serene under the pine trees towering into the clouds. The straight pine forest shines with the immortal glow of gold and emerald. The flowing clouds and mist subtly echo the gurgling waves at the bottom of the painting, suggesting the flowing of time.

Frost-Stained Yellow Leaves in Autumn

In Clouds Over Homeland, Lin Fengmian uses thick gouache paint, and by enhancing the intensity of ink, he allows the vivid and rich golden yellow, pine green, and indigo to seep into the raw rice paper, creating a sense of solidity of the colors. The richly colored yellow leaves shine brightly in the emerald-green forest, and the light blue smoke in the forest enriches the vertical layers of the mountain. The small village with black tiles and white walls in the middle stands in the forest, forming a jumping black and white block, which makes the visual undulation obvious but not abrupt, showing a quiet and joyful poetry. The small hills in the foreground are interspersed horizontally, like a corner of the landscape of southern China, as if the crisp autumn air touches the skin, and the memory of autumn diffuses in the yellow leaves, green forest and light fog.

Whether it's Rain or Sunshine

In Clouds Over Homeland, the colors are magnificent. The center of the picture is deliberately painted in simple black and white, forming a plain and innocent landscape amidst the heavy ink, and showing the humble heart of the “small self”. Su Dongpo once wrote a famous line after his deportation in Huangzhou, “Live one transcendent life though there's a storm.” Lin Fengmian used this as a response to the misfortune of fate, he put on a palm-bark rain cape and let the wind and rain of his life take their course, chanting in the vast world, “Whether it's rain or sunshine”.

Important Collection of Mr. Lin's Disciples

“Before the Cultural Revolution, I lived on the same Nanchang Road as Mr. Lin's student, Xi Suhua, who often visited Mr. Lin in prison at that time. Once I met her by chance and learned from her that the detention center needed a weekly change of Mr. Lin's laundry, so I knew he was still alive, and my heart was a little calmer.”

--Lin Fengmian's lifelong friend, the famous filmmaker Liu Heqing

Liu Heqing speak of the most difficult years of Lin Fengmian's life, but they also point out that Lin's disciple, Xi Suhua, had a deep friendship with his teacher and became a source of comfort in his suffering. Xi first met Lin in 1956 and was a great admirer of his art. She studied with Lin, and Lin recognized her daughter Feng Ye as his daughter. Clouds Over Homeland is completed in the 1960s, thence kept and treasured by Xi for more than thirty years. It only appeared to the market in 1992 to previous collector. Thus, this a rare opportunity to acquire Lin Fengmian's masterpiece that one should not miss!

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,800,000 - 2,800,000
USD: 231,200 - 359,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 3,000,000