Pencil and charcoal on paper

50 × 29.5 cm. 19 5/8 × 11 5/8 in.

LITERATURE
1982, The Nostagia of Sanyu in Paris, the Print Publishing House, Taichung, p. 54
2014, Sanyu Catalogue Raisonné Drawings and Watercolors, Rita Wong, The Li Ching Cultural and Educational Foundation, Taipei, p.116, Plate No. D3014
EXHIBITED
1 – 11 May 1982, Sanyu: Sketch and Watercolour Collection of Sanyu in the 1930s, Print Maker's Gallery, Taipei & Ming-Men Gallery, Taichung

PROVENANCE
Previous Collection of Michel Harbart family, who was a French writer and a friend of art historian Chen Yen-Fon
Private Collection, Asia

The Fragrance of the Ink on Paper, Recording the Best Time of the Era
The Elegance of Art on Sanyu's Paper

“The steps we take are too slow to keep up with the times. Our bodies are too fragile. Our lives are too short. And time is like a giant wave that washes the dirt away, layer by layer, to finally reveal the shining substance hidden underneath.”
——Sanyu

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Paris, the great city described as “A Moveable Feast” by writer Ernest Hemingway, became the center of world art. Numerous artists came to Montparnasse in Paris and form the “Paris School”, openly accepting diverse foreign cultures. In 1921, Sanyu, dressed in a Chinese costume, stepped into this city and immediately entered the local well-known non-academic art school Acamémie de la Grande Chaumier to study painting. The open environment there enabled him to paint naked female models without any scruples. He also often lingered in cafes, observing the pedestrians, and drawing countless sketches. From sketching with pencil and charcoal to painting with brushes and coloring with watercolors, his sketches and smooth lines often surprise onlookers, leaving scented and attractive works behind.

In this auction, we will present a series of exquisite works on paper by Sanyu with great honor. His rare watercolor work Art Student Sketching: Georgette Chen (Lot 68) created in the late 1920s would be one of the many highlights of the sale. At the same time, the precious sketches belong to the collection of French Michel Habart family are also presented in this auction, showing the elegance of Sanyu's paintings.

The Pearl Left in the Sea, the Reappearing of the Habart Family Collection: Sketches of Sanyu

“You have never seen him before, but this does not affect your confirmation of his talent... He is incomparably talented, concise, courageous, and peaceful... I once appraised him as the ‘Matisse of China'.”
——To Michel Habart, Letter from the best friend of Sanyu, Albert Dahan

As one of the first important collectors who appreciate Sanyu and purchase a large number of his works, Michel Habart has made a great contribution to the promotion of Sanyu's art. Once by chance, he came across many Sanyu drawings at the Drouot Auction in France, and immediately purchased them and regarded them as treasures. After that, he often went to the French National Library to do research and searched for Sanyu's paintings. In 1979, he met and became close friends with Chen Yen-fon, a Taiwanese art historian and they worked together to collect information on Sanyu's life and promote his art. In 1982, Habart lent his collection to Chen Yen-fon, directly contributing to the first solo exhibition of Sanyu in Taiwan, Sanyu: Sketch and Watercolour Collection of Sanyu in the 1930s, which opens the door of the art life of Sanyu to Asian collectors.

Among the six sketches presented this time, five are from the previous collection of the Habart family. They appear at auction for the first time, which is a collection opportunity not to be missed.

Elegant Naked Woman, the Aesthetics of Line

“The lines he used to occupy the space were also used to convey his sensualities, as the lines within his drawings unfolded, his stubbornness was portrayed nakedly.”
——Wu Guanzhong

Sanyu's sketches of nude women have always been a classic, among which, Nude (Lot 64) created with a Chinese painting brush is an excellent example. He deliberately reduces the figure's head in form and focuses on her plump body, reminding us of the women images of Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani who elongate the body to shape the sense of physical existence. On the other hand, Sanyu controls and performs the lines more sophisticatedly. In the painting, the ink line starts from the shoulders and follows the trend, in which we can see the familiarity, confidence, and demeanor of a master. When he portrays the lower body, he depicts the plump thighs of a woman with extremely exaggerated and full curves. This is also related to the invention of the photographic fisheye lens at that time, reflecting the new era of vision. With the straight-curve contrast of the body shape, Sanyu illustrates the elegance and rhyme of the woman.

Contrary to the plump beauty of Seated Nude, Sanyu explores the beauty of muscle in Seated Nude (Lot 65) created by charcoal and pencil. In the sketch, the woman sits on her side with her legs bent, her hands left behind her back, and her upper body leans slightly forward, forming an inverted T-shape structure. The hands and the body form a triangle shape, creating a sense of geometric stability. The twists and turns of the lines reveal the beauty of softness and harmony. Following the charcoal outlining the edge of the human body, the sense of muscle tightness is also presented in front of us. Three strong curves shape the woman's thigh bent forward like an arch, creating a flexible yet powerful posture of the nude woman. The lines and the natural shade disclose the beauty of the human body.

Multidimensional Portraits, the Elegance in Rhyme

“I remember the beaming face of my father when he came home with his treasure under his arm…The simplicity of the line, and the moving sensuality that emanated from the 1920s women evoked comments from the people who saw them. We made parallels between Chinese calligraphy and these innumerable nudes. My father saw in these works inspiration from Matisse, Maillol sculptures and Henry Moore. With his calligrapher's brush creating a tender line, Sanyu had indeed invented something unique.”
——Doris Habart, daughter of Michel Habart

Outside the studio, Sanyu also painted his classmates or people next to the table in the cafe. In the sketch work Woman in Skirt (Lot 63), Sanyu paints a woman with a Chinese brush, quickly and flexibly outlining her elegant and pleasant image, which also reflects the fashion trends in Paris at that time. With the unique “single eye” interpretation of Sanyu, the girl's playfulness becomes unforgettable to the viewers.

In Lady with Check Pattern Shawl (Lot 67), Sanyu no longer focuses on the normal sitting posture. In this work, the woman uniquely sits with her knees close together and her legs crossed, showing artist's emphasis on the lines of the lady's calves and the sense of fullness. The charcoal used here also creates a sharp contrast. Sanyu depicts the shawl with vertical and horizontal cross lines in a rational manner, while the curve lines strengthen the sensibility of the lower body. In the ups and downs, Sanyu unveils his rich perception of the beauty of lines physical body.

Unlike Sanyu's usual simplified face, Woman Sketching (Lot 62) fully magnifies the appearance and expression of the person in the sketch and rarely presents rich details. The woman with short hair and rich makeup on the eyebrows is dressed up in a luxurious style, wearing a necklace of gems, pearl earrings, fancy blouses, and bow-tie heel shoes. Such vivid and delicate image descriptions are extremely rare in Sanyu's works. Moreover, he captures the detailed expressions of the characters. Through the raised eyes, the tight lips, and the slanted body, the audience can perceive her posture of focusing on drawing. Woman Sketching was published in The Nostalgia of Sanyu in Paris by Chen Yen-fon and was selected in the 1982 Sanyu: Sketch and Watercolour Collection of Sanyu in the 1930s solo exhibition, which is uniquely representative!

Concise Sketch, the Strength of Simplicity

Black Eye Woman (Lot 66) illustrates the “strength of simplicity” Sanyu pursues. He portrays the profile of a short-haired woman concisely and precisely. With magnified facial features and undulating outline, he creates a soft and three-dimensional face with a unique charm. The solid ink highlights the eye pupils, fully revealing the bright look of the people in the painting. The look magically attracts the audience's eyesight, which keeps the viewer think about it again and again.

Price estimate:
HKD: 200,000 - 300,000
USD: 25,700 - 38,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 336,000