Ink and colour on paper

96.5×35.5 cm. 38×14 in.

Signed, dated and located in Chinese with an artist seal on upper left

LITERATURE
1992, Han Mo 24, Han Mo Xuan Publishing Co. Ltd., Hong Kong, p. 35
PROVENANCE
Previous Collection of Li Ximu
27 Nov 2018, Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Auction, Lot 1340
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Note: Li Xumu is a native of Lin Fengmian's hometown of Meixian, Guandong Province, and the consul-general of Consulate General of China in Chiang Mai. He collected several paintings by Lin Fengmian. The family of Li had a strong bond with Lin. Li's little brother, Li Shuhua, was appointed as the professor of Music Department in Hangzhou National College of Art. Li Shuhua's daughter, Danielle Li, was the goddaughter of Lin Fengmian.

Seeking a Kindred Spirit Across The Land
Lin Fengmian: The Grand Vision of Beauty and Purity in Art

Born in 1900 at the dawn of a new century, Lin Fengmian seemed destined to leave an indelible mark on his era. From a young age, he astonished onlookers with his prodigious artistic talent. Before turning twenty, he secured a government scholarship to study in France, enrolling at the renowned Nationale School of Fine Arts at twenty-one. After graduating, he caught the eye of Cai Yuanpei, who invited him back to China. At the remarkably young age of twenty-six, Lin was appointed principal of the Beijing National Art Academy, becoming the youngest heads of a higher education institution in the 20th century. As a visionary art educator, he championed the modernisation of Chinese art, mentoring students such as Zao Wou-Ki, Wu Guanzhong, Chu Teh-Chun, Su Tianci, and Li Keran-figures who would go on to shape the course of modern Chinese art. In his practice, Lin infused traditional Chinese painting with Western modernist themes-landscapes, still lifes, and nudes-while drawing inspiration from Chinese murals, porcelain, lacquerware, Buddhist statues, and shadow puppets. His emotionally charged works reflect an unrelenting quest to fuse Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

Birdsong and Blossoms: A Glimpse of Spring
Rare Chongqing-Era Work: Wisteria and Birds

In 1937, as the Sino-Japanese War broke out, Lin Fengmian, the principal of the Hangzhou National Art Academy, led his students inland before settling alone in Chongqing. He lived in a modest room near the Great Buddha Temple on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, immersing himself in painting. His student Li Keran recalled that during this period, Lin could produce up to ninety paintings in a single day, only to discard all but the finest one or two. Wisteria and Birds （Lot 24）, completed in 1946-the year following Japan's surrender-is a rare treasure. By then, the academy had returned to Hangzhou, and Lin had settled back into his garden villa, resuming his teaching duties. The subject and symbolism of this work reveal its profound meaning: it encapsulates the joy of victory, Lin's longing to reunite with his wife in Hangzhou, and his hopes for a flourishing future.

Calligraphic Flourish: The Free Spirit of Expression

Painted in the 1940s, Wisteria and Birds is a rare early piece presented in the traditional Chinese scroll format, a style Lin favoured from the 1920s to 1940s before transitioning to square compositions. With bold brushwork and dynamic composition, he sought to blend Western colour and form within the aesthetic of literati painting. The cascading wisteria anchors the scene, its branches flowing downward like a waterfall, ending with birds perched gently on the vines. The blossoms, rendered with vibrant, semi-abstract strokes, burst with vitality. The twisting vines weave through the composition with calligraphic elegance, embodying the spirit of Chinese brushwork. At the centre, a swirl of green and orange leaves introduces a Western tonal sensibility, infusing the scene with life and jubilation.

Pure Harmony: A Wish for Unity

Beneath the wisteria, two birds stand side by side, symbolising companionship and unity. Painted with rich ink washes, they contrast with the faint, interwoven branches in the background. Lin accented their beaks and feet with pink dots echoing the wisteria's hues, creating a delightful interplay of colour and form that lends the painting a rhythmic charm.

Provenance and Rarity

This work boasts a notable provenance, having been part of the collection of Li Ximu, a Thai-Chinese diplomat and Lin's fellow townsman. Li, who served as a consul in Chiang Mai and was acquainted with artists like Lin, Zao Wou-Ki, and Guan Liang, received numerous gifted works. Among them, Wisteria and Birds stands out as a rare masterpiece. Of Lin's fewer than thirty wisteria-themed paintings, only five from the 1940s are dated, with this being one of the largest. Notably, in the same year, Lin gifted a similar work, Whispering Swallows, to Wu Guanzhong and his wife as a wedding present, highlighting his affection for the theme.

Strumming the Strings of Ideal Beauty
An Eastern Icon: Lady Playing Qin

Lin's Ladies series represents a cornerstone in his efforts to modernise Chinese painting. After settling in Shanghai in the 1950s, he explored this theme extensively, drawing from the muted tones of opera costumes and enhancing them with white lines and powder to create a dreamlike quality. He fused traditional elements-Dunhuang murals, Song dynasty porcelain, and Tang dynasty court ladies-with the expressive forms of Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani. His figures, often depicted in meditation or engaged in refined pursuits like playing music or reading, radiate elegance. Lady Playing Qin (Lot 25) exemplifies this approach.

White Lines and Ethereal Grace

The lady sits serenely, her fingers delicately plucking the qin, lost in reverie. Lin's mastery of lines-varying in thickness, curve, and intensity-brings the scene to life, reflecting her inner world. Her oval face and refined features recall Constantin Brâncuși's La Muse endormie, exuding an enigmatic Eastern allure. The straight lines of the qin contrast with the flowing curves of her body and robes, suggesting the ebb and flow of her emotions. Lin's signature "white line" technique outlines her garments, creating a luminous glow. White powder accents her indigo sleeves and skirt, while translucent grey-blue underlayers evoke sheer silk. Her robes, draping like clouds, echo the continuous lines of Gu Kaizhi's Admonitions Scroll, with rhythmic strokes adding a sense of movement.

A Sensory Symphony

Moreover, the overall colour palette of the work is understated yet rich in detail and resonance. Layered pigments, veiled to varying degrees by white powder, reveal subtle, elusive shifts in intermediate tones. For instance, the blooming wisteria is gathered into a long-necked celadon vase, its glaze gleaming like a dim lantern, casting an aura of archaic tranquillity over the small chamber, reminiscent of the gentle lustre of Song dynasty Longquan porcelain. On the right-hand wall, faint decorative patterns evoke the dancers of Dunhuang's flying apsaras or the black-slip scratched designs of Northern Song Cizhou ware-ornate yet understated-each element underscoring the refinement of the lady and the artist's discerning taste. The painting masterfully demonstrates Lin's precise control over form, colour, and rhythm, as well as his profound grasp of the essence of traditional Chinese aesthetics, opening a gateway to a distant, poetic realm within the confines of the canvas.

The Simplicity of Innocence
Life's Vitality and Depth: Osprey

From the mid-1950s, Lin shifted his focus from figures to landscapes. A 1953 trip to Tianping Mountain in Suzhou inspired him to "paint a new kind of landscape", while a month-long stay in rural Shanghai with artists like Guan Liang and Wu Dayu in 1958 deepened his connection to nature. Osprey (Lot 26) captures the essence of these experiences.

The Joy of Landscape: A Childlike Spirit

Lin's landscapes blend simplicity with profundity. In Osprey, he employs ink in five shades to depict mountains, water, sky, and earth with effortless mastery. Broad, dry brushstrokes suggest shimmering water, while cormorants perch lively on the boat. Each bird, crafted with precise lines and bold ink blocks, exudes a childlike innocence. Their varied poses-some preening, others gazing or whispering-animate the scene. The mast stands like a musical rest, harmonising with the boat's horizontal lines. Through vigorous strokes, Lin imbues the birds with human-like qualities, revealing his deep reverence for nature and life.

Masterful and Unrestrained: A Stroke of Genius
The Solitary Owl: A Testament to Timelessness

Another highlight from the collection is Owl (Lot 27), formerly held in the collection of Lin Fengmian's daughter, Lin Tina. This work draws the viewer's focus to a single bird, masterfully employing simplicity to convey complexity. Through expansive areas of negative space, the artist invites open-ended imagination, allowing the viewer to project boundless landscapes onto the canvas. At its centre, Lin Fengmian uses bold, confident brushstrokes to depict a solitary owl perched on a tree branch. Lin's unparalleled command of line is evident here-through variations in thickness, weight, and intensity, he constructs the owl's three-dimensional form, its distinctive features, and its relationship to its environment. This level of skill is the result of decades of refinement and cannot be achieved overnight. The owl's claws grip the branch with strength and determination, while its body stands tall and poised. Its wings are relaxed, expressing a natural ease, and its puffed chest, sharp beak, upright head feathers, and dark, piercing eyes evoke the dignified bearing of a scholar. As Lin Fengmian once wrote in his diary, "To paint a bird is to paint a person; to paint a flower is to paint a maiden." In this way, the owl serves as a self-portrait of the artist, inviting reflection on Lin's unyielding spirit and his legacy of independence and resilience.

Price estimate:
HKD 1,700,000 - 2,700,000
USD 217,900 - 346,200