Page 146 - Beyond Compare Christie's Hong Kong RU WARE .pdf

BEYOND COMPARE: A Thousand Years of the Literati Aesthetic

“ Following the laws of nature rather than being hidebound by convention,

I channel my appreciation of nature to create forms and expand my horizons

as well, insofar as to transcend the strict confines of secular world and rigid
composition, so that I can drive my idea, conception and brushstroke in an

untrammeled fashion, hence this panoramic hand scroll as majestic as epic.”

- Statement by Yu Chengyao

th
tarting in the 20 century, a number of trailblazing Chinese in a shabby house in Taipei, he not only took delight in reading,
Spainters have explored the new, drawing upon tradition to calligraphy, and Nanguan (a style of Chinese classical music), but
create a new aesthetic for a new age. On the occasion of this special also began to paint. Self-taught, Yu painted simply according to
sale “Beyond Compare: A Thousand Years of the Literati Aesthetic,” his early memories of going sightseeing, effectively emulating the
Christie’s Hong Kong is deeply honored to present Magnificent approach taken by literati painters of old. Jin Nong, a great painter
Landscape (Lot 8014), the magnum opus of Taiwanese modern and calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty, advocated “emulating nature,
ink-wash painting master Yu Chengyao. This mesmerizing hand expressing individuality, employing innovative technique, evolving
scroll measures over 12 meters in length, depicting the compelling freehand style, stressing similitude, shaping character, and being a
landscapes in Yu’s mind in rich layers of ink and colour, a perfect man of cultivation.” This is why every stroke of Yu’s brush bears his
fusion of tradition and innovation. characteristic signature. His landscape paintings are simple, and their
compositions are outstanding.
Born in Fujian province in 1898, Yu spent the prime of his life
focused on his military career, during which he often amused Of all the scenes that Yu observed during his time with the army,
himself by writing poems. After leaving the military, he emigrated Mount Hua and the Yangtze River would eventually appear most
to Taiwan alone and entered the business world. It was not until frequently in his paintings. After China declared victory over Japan
he entered middle age in 1954 that he chose to spurn the life of a in 1945, Yu headed eastward from Chongqing aboard a ferry along
businessman and adopt a hermit-like lifestyle. Living in seclusion Yangtze River. Passing the Three Gorges, he finally reached his
destination—Nanjing—where he witnessed the majestic grandeur
of the Yangtze River estuary. The breathtaking vistas along the 1500-
km course traveled greatly widened Yu’s horizons, and the towering
peaks and astonishing rocks along the way would eventually become
the inspiration behind his captivating landscape paintings. Over
the course of Yu’s thirty-year career as an artist, he created over 100
landscape paintings, yet only two of them are hand scrolls over 10
meters in length, both depicting the scenery of Yangtze River. One is
Endless Yangtze (fig. 1), currently in a private collection, and the other
is Magnificent Landscape, a masterpiece that captures the profound
impression that the journey taken down the Yangtze River left upon
the artist.
Magnificent Landscape was created in 1984, 40 years after Yu’s grand
river tour when he was living in Taiwan. The Yangtze River runs
through the long hand scroll, steering a serpentine course amid the
mountain ranges, rocks, and shoals, forming the axis around which the
composition revolves. The soaring cliffs and riverside fields make
Landscape of the Yangtze River
㟌ᥨ˕ුᓣ⦱

132 ʔɭ { ҂˾ߕኪɓɷϋ