Ink and colour on paper

69 x 46 cm. 27 1/8 × 18 1/8 in.

Inscribed, dated and signed in Chinese with an artist's seal on upper left
PROVENANCE
Received as a gift by original private Asian collector from the artist
Private Collection, Asia

Note: A titleslip inscribed by original collector who was a student of the artist with a seal is affixed on the reverse

History Is in Forthright Laughter
Masterpieces of Ink Painting by Ting Yinyung from the 1970s

Ting Yinyung, known as one of the "Three Great Masters of Guangdong" along with Guan Liang and Lin Fengmian, studied in Japan in 1921 and was deeply influenced by the Fauvism and Impressionism movements. After returning to China in 1925, he became a prominent figure in the Chinese "Western Painting Movement". While studying lines, he encountered Chinese literati painting and felt the profound essence of focusing not on resemblance but on "likeness to the spirit", which greatly inspired and impressed him. Among the artists he admired, Bada Shanren and Shi Tao's paintings were highly esteemed by him. Realizing the charm of traditional Chinese painting, Ting became captivated and devoted himself to the exploration of ink painting.

In the 1970s, he entered a mature stage of creativity, not only painting a wide range of subjects, but also mastering a bold and innovative ink brushwork, which earned him international acclaim during this period. In 1974, Ting's paintings were exhibited in major universities in the United States, including Yale University. He was also invited to the annual exhibition of the Nihon Nangain Exhibition in Japan in the same year. In the following years, from 1975 to 1977, he visited Melbourne for exhibitions, causing a sensation internationally. Farewell My Concubine (Lot 79), Landscape (Lot 78), Da Mo Meditation (Lot 80) and Ox (Lot 81) presented in this autumn auction were all completed in the 1970s, showcasing his mature and skilled style and testifying to his extraordinary achievements in diverse subjects such as landscapes, figures, and animals.

Farewell My Concubine: a Magnificent Song of Generosity

The large-scale Farewell My Concubine is based on the classic Peking Opera, an iconic theme of Ting's work in the 1970s. In the painting, Xiang Yu, clad in gold armour, holding a sword in his left hand and a spear in his right, with his eyes open and his hair standing on end in anger, seems to be in a desperate situation, bursting into a terrifying fury and fighting with courage and generosity. Yu Ji, on the other hand, is graceful and elegant, not wearing the ancient costume of wide robes and big sleeves, but a modern green dress that fits her body well. Her eyebrows show a look of courage and determination, leaning on the arm of the king with her right hand, as if determined to die, with a bravado that is no less than that of Xiang Yu's.

In this work, Ting has demonstrated a sophisticated use of the brush, using bold splashes of ink to depict Xiang Yu's powerful arms, while using simple and concise thick ink and heavy colours to outline the exaggerated round eyes, thick eyebrows, and thick whiskers. In contrast, he depicts Yu Ji with a restrained brushwork, harmoniously sketching her hair in a bun with a spoon-shaped brushstroke, and depicting her slightly furrowed willow eyebrows and resolute almond eyes with rounded and delicate lines, demonstrating the duality of the woman's gracefulness and heroism, and making the different personalities of the characters pop out on the paper with just his brushwork in a minimalist composition. This is a state of mind that cannot be attained without decades of profound skills, and it makes one applaud him. Ting went to Hong Kong alone in his middle age, separated from his family and lived a life of frugality and poverty. He insisted on the pursuit of art in the midst of hardship. When he created this work at the age of 76, he was surely reminded of the opera Farewell My Concubine, where the farewell scene of the protagonist resembles the pain of the separation of Ting's flesh and blood. However, just like the great Xiang Yu, he made a breakthrough and took a hard push to move forward, and his lifelong pursuit of artistic ideals ultimately left a colourful mark in the history of art, which makes this work particularly appealing.

Uncompromising Integrity: a Grand and Expressive Landscape Painting that Combines Tradition with Innovation

The Qing dynasty artist Shi Tao, whom Ting Yinyung admired, advocated for standing above tradition with an innovative spirit. After traveling through mountains and rivers for more than ten years, Shi Tao honed his unique style of landscape painting. His paintings showcase steep mountain cliffs, peculiar and ancient pine trees, and a strong and simple artistic approach that "originates from the mountains but forms my own method". Ting shared a common vision with Shi Tao and undisputedly shouldered the banner of Chinese artistic innovation, advocating for surpassing traditional conventions and reflecting the era's zeitgeist. He interpreted Chinese brush and ink with a more minimalist and unrestrained approach influenced by Fauvism, creating a joyous and novel artistic conception.

In the painting Landscape, Ting uses skilful and artless lines to depict a towering pine tree on the right, a well-arranged range of mountains, riverside landscapes, humble thatched cottages, and plain-dressed residents, all tinged with a light sienna colour, creating a picturesque village scene reminiscent of the fabled "Peach Blossom Spring". On the left, a vast expanse of blank space represents the boundless expanse of the river, exemplifying the idea of "Seeing the Tao from Emptiness". In the centre of the painting, the upright pine tree is drawn with lines as its backbone, using short and solid brushstrokes to depict the pine branches and rough and wining trunk, fully displaying its simple and unadorned nature. The emphasis is on capturing the spirit rather than pursuing realism. On the left, a flourishing ink stroke neatly outlines a fruit tree, with heavy fruits weighing down the branches, metaphorically representing the modest and reclusive hermit's demeanour. The two trees complement each other, creating various postures and a sense of ritual. The rock formations on the riverbank are not rendered with excessive texture, but simply outlined, revealing a rustic and straightforward charm. In addition, two bold and powerful ink lines create a continuous range of undulating mountains in the distance, using varying shades of ink to demonstrate depth. The boat on the left side of the river is depicted from an unusual overhead perspective, reminiscent of the staging of Fauvism, breaking the limitations of a single perspective. In this work, Ting pushes the ancient literati's concept of "strangeness" to the extreme, showcasing his astonishing avant-garde style.

On the left side of the painting, he whimsically inscribes: "Huang Gong travels to cloud forest, takes a boat to come, a million mountains reveal smiling faces, all of nature becomes painting material." According to research, this is a tribute to the life experience of Huang Gongwang, the leader of the "Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty": his career did not go smoothly, and he eventually chose to become a monk and live in seclusion, taking nature as his teacher and seeking inspiration from observing and painting landscapes, eventually becoming a master in his field. Unlike the cold and desolate atmosphere conveyed in the works of Shi Tao and others, Ting's works from this period are filled with a bright and open spirit, as if one can feel the pleasant breeze brushing against their face when drifting along the river. It fully reflects his optimistic and carefree attitude in his later years, and invigorates the viewer's spirit.

The Serene Meditation: the Strong and Robust Red-Robed Da Mo

Da Mo Meditation is a Buddhist theme that Ting Yinyung greatly favoured. It was exhibited for the first time in 1998 at the Plum Blossoms Gallery in Hong Kong during the Ting Yinyung Exhibition and has been carefully preserved for decades, making it particularly rare. In the painting, Ting exaggeratedly enlarges the upper body proportions of Da Mo, highlighting his round eyes, protruding eyebrows, broad nose with many whiskers, and high forehead. With powerful brushwork and confident and concise lines, Ting directly outlines Da Mo's facial features, capturing his characteristics with full spirit. He then uses pointillism to depict the curly and dense beard of the figure. With a sweeping stroke, he quickly outlines the posture of the main character, sitting cross-legged with folded hands, as well as the waist belt wrapped around him, with clean and concise lines flowing freely. The fiery red robe is radiant but not vulgar, reminiscent of the Fauvist use of colour, reminiscent of Henri Matisse. From composition, lines, to colours, Ting demonstrates his unique method of blending Eastern and Western styles, capturing the solemn and intriguing appearance of Da Mo's dharma aspect with just a few strokes.

Ting Yinyung's interpretation of the Buddhist figure Dharma, depicted as a contemplative figure wearing a red robe and standing at an angle, is inspired by the legend of Dharma's Crossing the River and Facing the Wall. According to the legend, Bodhidharma, while teaching Emperor Wu, found him resistant and unenlightened. Therefore, he crossed the river and went north to Mount Song, where he sat facing a wall in deep meditation for nine years, until his shadow penetrated the stone, leaving behind a legendary tale for future generations. Dharma rejected the temptations of power and wealth, turned around and meditated, observing the wall alone, and attained enlightenment, enlightening future generations. This recalls Ting's journey to Hong Kong alone in his middle age, enduring separation from his family across the strait and a life of frugality and hardship yet persevering in his pursuit of artistic excellence. It also evokes his compassionate spirit in caring for his students and imparting his knowledge generously and unreservedly, which is truly moving!

Unrelenting Cultivation: The Silent Contribution of an Aged and Diligent Ox

In his later years, Ting Yinyung remained passionate about expanding the subjects of his paintings. In addition to landscapes, flowers and birds, and figures, he began to take an interest in painting animals such as oxen, horses, and sheep. However, works cantered around oxen are particularly rare, with fewer than five pieces featured in auctions over the past thirty years. The present artwork, Ox, stands out as a rare representative of this subject matter. This expressive masterpiece is boldly executed, with Ting using vigorous brushstrokes to outline an old ox resting on the ground. The cow's oval-shaped eyes evoke the shape of ancient bronze cow sculptures that Ting enjoyed studying, revealing a return to primitive innocence. The crescent-shaped horns are painted with minimalistic patterns resembling a child's imagination, full of the playful spirit of past and present. Ting carefully adds lighter ink strokes to depict the "川" shaped fur on the ox's face, and layers of ink wash on its limbs and back, not only showing the volume of the cow's body but also conveying the soft texture of its fur. Especially noteworthy is the protruding and rugged spine, which Ting portrays using white brushstrokes, resembling towering mountains that bear the baptism of time, as well as the selfless and dedicated heart of the ox.

Ting Yinyung had a special affinity with "ox." In addition to Bada Shanren and Shi Tao, two well-known Chinese painters, Ting also had a special fondness for the works of his younger brother Niu Shihui. He not only collected Niu's ancient paintings and seals but also used the pseudonym "Niu Jun" (Lord Niu) and engraved private seals with the characters "Niu Jun" and "Niu Jun's Seal." It can be said that "ox" became Ting's self-identifying symbol. In 1978, shortly after retiring from the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Department of Fine Arts, Ting passed away. The painting Ox, created in his final year of life, portrays his lifelong struggles and hardships. It brings to mind Ting's decades of arduous pursuit of art and his moral and spiritual dedication, silently toiling until the end of his life without seeking rewards.

Price estimate:
HKD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 5,100 – 7,700