Ink and colour on paper

37.7×691.5 cm. 14 7/8×272 1/4 in.

Inscribed, dated and signed in Chinese with five artist's seals
Frontispiece by Jao Tsung—I, with one seal
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by Ting Yinyung's student Sheila Chao from the artist
25 Jun 2017, Shanghai Duo Yun Xuan Spring Auction, Lot 90
29 May 2022, Christie's Hong Kong Spring Auction, Lot 1058
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

Note: Jao Tsung-I,is a famous Hong Kong scholar who won the Grand Bauhinia Medal
Sheila Chao studied with Ting Yinyung when she travelled and lived in Hong Kong during 1973-76. She established Yu Heng Painting Society in Taiwan, and was profiled in World's Who's Who of Women in 1993

Splendid Ink and Colour, Capture the Inner Spirit
Ting Yinyung's Masterpieces with Well Provenance

"Chinese art is superior because of its metaphysical way of expression, which is free from any constraints and has unlimited room for development."
——Ting Yinyung

Known as one of the "Three Great Masters of Guangdong" along with Lin Fengmian and Guan Liang, Ting Yinyung went to Japan in 1920 to study at the Kawabata School of Painting and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he was influenced by the freedom and boldness of the Fauvists and the Impressionists. He was particularly adept at using colours and breaking free from the constraints of the concrete image. In 1926, he returned to Shanghai to devote himself to art education, injecting a modern flavour into the art scene of his time.

In 1929, as part of the preparations for the Guangzhou Museum, Ting came into contact with a large number of paintings and calligraphy, which opened a new window of inspiration. In addition to oil paintings, he also explored ink painting. His ink paintings, blended with the wildness of the Fauvism and the bold use of colour, produced a natural and naive style, which has been praised by the world. The magnificent nearly seven-metre-long Simple Pleasures in Life (Lot 18) scroll is from the former collection of renowned Taiwanese artist Sheila Chao, with an inscription by Hong Kong's renowned scholar Jao Tsung-I who won the Grand Bauhinia Medal. In Ting's over forty years of auction records, there have been no more than twelve scrolls over six metres in length, and one of them, Animals, Insects and Flowers, is the second most expensive in Ting's world auction record of ink paintings with the price of over 4 million HKD. Fury for a Beauty (Lot 20) and Chinese Opera Figures (Lot 19) both have a classic theme of Ting's theatre characters, the former once belonged to the collection of Ting's disciple, Ching Chung, a famous Hong Kong actress who has appeared in several leading roles in films. This is a rare release of three fine works with well-established provenance, making it an excellent opportunity for collectors who love Ting's art.

An All-Encompassing Classic

Composed of nine ink paintings with inscriptions, Simple Pleasures in Life includes a wide range of Ting's classic themes, highlighting Ting's dashing character and his easy command of a variety of subjects, making it a masterpiece that suits all tastes.

The first work that comes to the eyes is a painting of a plum blossom tree, a bird and a fish, in which Ting used thick and majestic ink to strangely splash out the thick and vigorous branches of the plum blossom. Immediately afterwards, yellow narcissus and pink hibiscus appear to contrast with each other. The pine tree and the bird perched on it, painted by dry brush strokes, form a rounded circle, telling of the ambitions of the old master. In the second half of the painting, a large area is used to paint the Xiangfei bamboo mentioned in the inscription, as well as the orchid, which Qu Yuan loved and symbolises "undying chastity", displaying the spirit of the literati. Ting changes his brushwork here, using a soft brush to bring to life the delicate but powerful leaves of the orchid with their elegant droop. The bamboo stem is outlined in light colours and the bamboo leaves are drawn with a strong brush, which is extremely beautiful and interesting. In the middle of the bamboo and orchid are two egrets looking up at the sky with exaggerated beaks in the style that echos Bada Shanren, a late Ming dynasty artist. A Chinese cabbage with a cricket on it leads us back to the life of ordinary people, reminding us of the simple and quiet rural, just like Tao Yuanming's style of idyllic poems that are free from the world. The work is as fascinating as a rhyme. What is condensed in the work is Ting's humour and wit, his boldness to play with the past and the present, and his charm.

A Good Show, Lively and Vivid

Ting Yinyung was fond of Chinese opera and usually painted traditional opera stories in his paintings. In Fury for a Beauty, he vividly outlines a furious, golden-armoured and powerful general in the centre of the painting through confident and smooth ink lines. Beneath him is a terrified enemy general with his arms and legs tightly closed. His small stature and downward-slanting posture already signalled defeat and made the battle clear. Behind the general, the women in red and green, protected by the general, look calm and relaxed. Their faces are painted in red and pink colours, and each of their buns is painted in a single, strong ink stroke. In just a few strokes, the contrast between strength and weakness, bravery and fear, is demonstrated in shape and colour, extremely simple and full of interest.

Encounter on the Broken Bridge, Endless Love

The other painting, Chinese Opera Figures, depicts the encounter between Xu Xian and the White Snake. On the right side of the painting, Xu Xian is dressed as a scholar, his head bowed down, not daring to surprise the beauty, but his eyes widened in surprise, revealing his love for her. The White Snake is dressed in a light blue robe, with a fan covering her lips and her eyes drifting to the left, revealing the shyness of a woman's heart. Green Snake, on the other hand, wears a red dress that symbolises her forthrightness. As she just transformed into a human, she is still ignorant of human etiquette, but this makes her more sincere and bold. She looks directly at Xu Xian with a smile on her lips, and she points her finger at him while staying close to her sister as if she is making fun of the young man, adding a lively spirit to the scene, which is also in line with Ting's unchained art character. With a few simple strokes, Ting captures the essence of the character, expressing the romantic encounter of love at first sight in a lively manner that tugs at the heartstrings!

Price estimate:
HKD 10,000 - 20,000
USD 1,300 - 2,600