Page 103 - The Pioneers, November 26, 2016 Hong Kong

the centre of his characters, metamorphosing and
exaggerating the shapes to make them more abstract
and geometric, then reassembling the geometric
blocks to be restructured. The result is a rich strata
of architectural effect. In addition to heightening the
structure of the composition, Lin also blended the
rhythm of Chinese paintings into the confines of the
work. Wu Guanzhong lavished praise on Lin's art: 'the
whole of the composition moves at his command;
not an inch wasted.' The positioning of the boats is
orderly; the masts and boat decks are juxtaposed with
clean, crisp lines to create a superimposed, geometric
impression. The display also combines the texture of
cubist art: boats of varying colours loll in the golden
twilight, magnifying the sense of spatial vastness.
The work also acknowledges Impressionistic rendition
and reinterpretation of light, while echoing the artistic piece offers a new rendition of 'Ladies of Lin Fengmian'
conception of 'a thousand-mile landscape captured in a
tiny snapshot' in Chinese art.
On the other hand, the artist intended to spotlight
the ordinary women in farming and fishing villages
to salute the ladies of a new era, celebrating their
vivacity and courage in a 'painting of many beauties.'
Women have always been Lin's favourite subject. Since
1940's, 'The Ladies of Lin Fengmian' revisited the
natural elegance of feminine beauty with a timeless yet
refreshing style. Born into a blue-collared family in a
mountainous Guandong village, Lin also acknowledged
Wassily Kandinsky, Small Dream in Red, 1925, Museum of Fine Arts Bern, Bern, Switzerland
康定斯基《紅色的微夢》1925年 瑞士 伯恩 伯恩美術館
< Lot 2512 Detail 局部
the industriousness of women with his art. In Fishing
Village, viewers get to meet a hardworking matron, a
robust and self-possessed young woman, a coquettish
maiden, and a sprightly small girl. They either stand,
or sit; talk, or hold still. Everyone focuses on the job at
hand. The characters in the foreground sit in a circle:
the visual focus is drawn to the fish-filled creel and
the delight with the harvest. The backlit display, and
the unique headdresses worn by fishermen in eastern
Zhejiang seem to place a golden halo on every figure,
evocative of the Madonna in the church and the corona
she wears. The work powerfully portrays the gentleness
and virtue of Asian women, the beauty of maternal
love, the rosy glow of a robust woman, and the joy
over the fruit of one's labour. Reminiscent of Millet's
tribute to the working class in the 19th century, the
in a tumultuous time: it is a testimonial to ordinary
labourers, and 'women as pillars of the earth.'
This piece has quite a long history with Christie's Hong
Kong. Lin Fengmian produced only a handful of oils,
and it makes this work a rare find. Mr. Robert Chang
took this piece home in a Christie's Hong Kong sale in
1990, and it has been in his possession since. In parting
with this rare gem and by virtue of The Pioneers Sale,
Mr. Chang hopes to pay homage to this visionary artist
of the 20th century, who fused Chinese and western
practises and charted new artistic territories.
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