Watercolour on paper

56 × 75 cm. 22 × 29 1/2 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom left
PROVENANCE
Tanwan Gallery, Nantou
Private Collection, Asia

Painting for the Enormous Nature, Singing for the Beauty of Life
Shiy De-Jinn's Artistic True Feelings for Self Expression

Shiy De-Jinn once said: "Your whole life is a piece of artwork." Since 1943, he studied at Hangzhou National College of Art and became one of Lin Fengmian's five most successful students. In 1948, he settled in Taiwan and travelled to Europe and America. After that, he created a new style of watercolour in the 1970s. Born in Sichuan province, this artist was proficient in calligraphy, seal cutting, watercolour, ink and oil painting, and had his unremitting pursuit of "Using Chinese emotion to find a new expression of Chinese art". He depicted his life in beautiful artwork.

Forgetting Mundane and Stepping into the Transcendent Eternal Realm

Watercolour landscape painting is an eternal part of Shiy De-Jinn's oeuvre. In 1966, when he returned to Taiwan from his trip to Europe, he shifted his focus to watercolour landscape, trying to bring the freehand brushwork of Eastern ink painting into the expression of modern art. After 1969, Shiy De-Jinn made a landmark artistic breakthrough by creating watercolour landscapes with the technique of Eastern ink painting.

The painting Landscape(Lot 91), completed in 1980, embodies the detachment and purity of the artist's mood in his later years, with a more profound and broad-minded poetic feeling. In the painting, there is no human traces, only continuous mountains and misty water. The most incredible eternal beauty of nature is expressed through this simpleness. Shiy De-Jinn used his classic blue and purple colour to interpret his understanding of nature. This unique tone of personal style is different from the traditional landscape painting characterized by the prominence of dark ink or blue and green colours. It uniquely reflects the magic and beauty of the empty mountains. Also, in the elegant light purple, the peaceful charm of literati paintings remains. Dark blue and dark green colours render layers to depict the flowing river below. At the same time, the water is half-absorbed to form a flowing effect of sparkling water, just like the imagery of the flow of all colours and the interweaving of virtual and real. In this uninhabited land, Shiy De-Jinn combined the great pure beauty he feels when his soul resided in nature into the touching charm under his brush and making them into an "eternal place".

Singing for the Spring of Schlumbergera Truncata by Poetry and Painting Simultaneously

Apart from the landscape theme, flowers are also an essential theme for Shiy De-Jinn to praise the pure beauty of life. Chinese famous poet Xi Murong once commented, "He sings the praises of life with profound joy, expressing his own power with everything in full bloom in nature. The power of him is so strong and free."

This piece of art Schlumbergera Truncata in Spring (Lot 92) bases on the form of traditional painting. It uses rice paper and watercolour to vividly show a basket of full blooming Schlumbergera truncata, combining poetry and painting. At the bottom of the work, the white space is specially used to indicate the unique habit of the Schlumbergera truncata hanging in the air, full of a strong sense of spring. This habit also aligns with Schlumbergera's special flower phrase of "good luck above the head". In the painting, the dark green stems are connected in clusters, like crabs' claws. The brushstrokes are bright and sure, from dark blue and dark green to emerald green from top to bottom, expanding layer upon layer and full of rhythm. Beneath stems, the blossoming red buds reveal themselves, expanding into a delicate and exquisite umbrella-like shape. The filaments hang upright slightly, like dancers with long legs. They spin their dresses together and dance to the beautiful scenery of spring.

Apart from the painting, Shiy De-Jinn used unique "Shiy style" calligraphy he created in his twilight years to write a script on the top of the painting: "You bring us the colour of spring in winter, Shu people Shiy De-Jinn". His calligraphy is of primitive and powerful simplicity. Every word is sincere. Schlumbergera truncata's gorgeous life brings us the spring message. Shiy De-Jinn also brought himself back to his motherland in the spring of Sichuan. The enthusiastic brush and the vibrant colour of him make this work so touching and let it vividly transmit special meanings such as memorizing the beauty of spring and homesickness.

Price estimate:
HKD: 280,000 - 350,000
USD: 35,700 - 44,600

Auction Result:
HKD: 336,000