Page 115 - September 20 2021 Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings Art Bonhams NYC

51
CHEN HENGKE (1876-1923)
Lotus, 1923
Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, inscribed by the artist with a
poem and dedication, dated guihai and signed Chen Hengke with
three artist’s seals Chen Heng da li, Shizi duxing and Boxian Guomu.
51 3/4 x 15 3/8in (131.6 x 39.2cm)
$4,000 - 6,000
陳衡恪 荷花 設色紙本 立軸 一九二三年作

Provenance/來源:
Christie’s Hong Kong, 18 January 1988, lot 75
香港佳士得，1988年1月18日，拍品編號75

Published/出版:
Toda, Teisuke and Hiromitsu Ogawa comp. Comprehensive Illustrated
Catalogue of Chinese Paintings, Third Series, Volume 1: American and
Canadian Collections, University of Tokyo Press, 2013, A50-93, p. 209
戶田禎佑、小川裕充，《中國繪畫總合圖錄》三編，第一卷，東京大
學出版會，東京，2013年，A50-93，頁209

Andrews, Julia Frances, Michael Knight, and Pauline Yao. Between the
Thunder and the Rain: Chinese Paintings from the Opium War Through
the Cultural Revolution, 1840-1979, San Francisco: Echo Rock
Ventures, in association with the Asian Art Museum--Chong-Moon Lee
Center for Asian Art and Culture, 2000, pp. 124-125
Andrews, Julia Frances, Michael Knight, and Pauline Yao,《風雲際
會：從鴉片戰爭到「文革」（1840-1979）的中國繪畫》，亞洲藝術
博物館，李鐘文亞洲藝術文化中心，舊金山，加州，
2000年，頁124-125

Little, Stephen, and J. May Lee Barrett. New Songs on Ancient Tunes:
19th-20th Century Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy from the Richard
Fabian Collection, Honolulu: Honolulu Academy of Arts,
2007, pp. 432-433
Little, Stephen, J. May Lee Barrett,《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九
及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝術博物館，夏威夷，
2007年，頁432-433

Exhibited/展覽:
Between the Thunder and the Rain, Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon
Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture, San Francisco, California,
October 25, 2000-January 14, 2001
《風雲際會：從鴉片戰爭到「文革」（1840-1979）的中國繪畫》，
亞洲藝術博物館，舊金山，加州，2000年10月25日至2001年1月14日

New Songs on Ancient Tunes, Honolulu Art Academy, Honolulu,
Hawaii, August 30-October 28, 2007
《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝
術博物館，夏威夷，2007年8月30日至10月28日

Chen Hengke was known for his support of the traditional literati
painting. He published A Study of Literati Painting (Wenrenhua zhi
jiazhi), which argued the most distinguishing characteristics of literati
painting is moral quality. He studied painting with Wu Changshuo. In
his flower and bird work, such as the lotus presented in current lot,
they often exhibit a freehand style that is similar to Xu Wei (1521-1593).
Unlike most of the lotus paintings, the artist did not feature flowers in
bloom here, rather, he chose to present a strong contrast between
the single small bud in brilliant red and the large leaves in pastel blue,
which also carry a hint of ochre suggesting withering. The visual effect
therefore is natural yet decorative.

陳衡恪對傳統文人畫的推崇世人皆知。他撰寫的《文人畫之價值》一
文更認為”人品”為文人畫之第一要素。陳氏畫學吳昌碩，花鳥作品如
本幅紅荷亦有徐渭（1521-1593）之寫意趣味。與多數以荷為題的作
品不同，本幅中並無表現盛開的荷花。相反，畫家以鮮紅突出畫面上
唯一的花蕾，與大片靛青荷葉形成強烈對比。又以絲許赭褐帶出荷葉
老邁凋零之感，更顯花莖之挺拔生機，令畫面呈現既自然又充滿裝飾 51
意味的視覺效果
FINE CHINESE PAINTINGS | 111