Page 148 - Christie's Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings hk may 226 27 2021

FROM A DISTINGUISHED ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION 亞洲重要私人珍藏 (LOT 1129)

1129
FU BAOSHI (1904-1965) 傅抱石 對弈圖 設色紙本 鏡框 一九四三年作
Chess Playing
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper 題識：癸未（1943年）七夕日，傅抱石寫。
87.5 x 59.3 cm. (34 Ω x 23 ¡ in.) 鈐印：傅、新諭、䡮跡大化
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist 鑑藏印：鄧蒼梧藏、鄧氏傳硯樓藏本、黃氏維熊珍藏
Dated Qixi Festival, guiwei year (1943)
Three collectors’ seals 來源： 鄧蒼梧收藏；
黃維熊收藏；
PROVENANCE: 香港蘇富比，中國書畫拍賣，2010年4月6日，編號767。
Collection of Deng Cangwu.
Collection of Huang Weixiong.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Paintings, 6 April 2010, Lot
767.
HK$40,000,000-50,000,000 US$5,200,000-6,500,000

Dominating the Confined Space — Fu Baoshi’s Chess Playing

By Wan Xinhua

Chess Playing embodies the vicissitudes of the Six Dynasties, the romance have become a subject matter under Fu Baoshi’s brush.
of the Wei and Jin dynasties, and Fu Baoshi’s unparalleled interpretation
of historical figure painting. What an exemplary early masterpiece from The two players and a monk viewer in the painting are completely
his oeuvre! engrossed by the chess match, seemingly oblivious to the outside world.
The momentary calm, a sharp contrast to the competitiveness on the
Chinese chess (weiqi or go) had been a favourite pastime among the chessboard, is about to be interrupted by the next move of the grey-
gentry and literati in ancient China, as a leisurely entertainment, relief robed player. An adherent to the style of Gu Kaizhi (ca. 344–406) early
from stress, a way to search for meanings in life, and a method to in his painting career, Fu Baoshi demonstrates his aim of “conveying the
develop strategic thinking. Since the Wei and Jun dynasties, the rise of spirit” and “sketching ideas” in this work by meticulously modelling the
metaphysics led to the advocacy of discourse among the literati as well as heads, features, bodies, postures, and robes of the three figures so that they
the popularity of chess. A chess match was then elegantly referred to as “a can effectively convey their inner (intense) feelings.
conversation by hands.” Well-known and obscure allegorical anecdotes
of chess matches between historical and religious figures can often be Situating figures within a landscape is one of Fu Baoshi’s favourite
found in transmitted texts. Watching a chess match has even been argued compositional approaches. He places the three figures among denuded
trees to create a mood of sombre desolation, which is usually associated
as more preferable than playing the match itself, for the audience has with an archaic style. To achieve different effects, he utilizes a broad range
nothing at stake. Both playing and watching a of brush strokes for each component: delicate,
chess match bring joy, and being a silent viewer precise lines to delineate the faces, features, and
is especially important for a gentleman. As such, a clothing; dry, narrow lines to give texture to the hair;
chess match has been a classic theme in the history wet brush strokes for the ink washes on the robes;
of Chinese painting. rapid movements of dry and wet brush strokes, of
long and short, thick and thin lines, to render the
On September 22, 1942, Fu Baoshi wrote a preface
to his upcoming solo show, articulating the sources tree roots, trunks and branches. Order can be found
in this jumble of various brush strokes executed
of his inspirations: appropriation from nature, with different speed. Such diametrical opposite
the realm of poetic imagery, historical events and of controlled and untrammelled brushwork, all
anecdotes, and emulation of ancient masters. Of laid out harmoniously, is truly a testament to the
these, historical events and anecdotes became his virtuosity of Fu Baoshi’s technical abilities.
guidelines for figure painting. His familiarity with
Chinese literature and history and his admiration In 1943, the same year that he completed Chess
for the ancient lofty recluses and scholars directed Playing, Fu Baoshi also created several other figure
his artistic development towards a revival and paintings, all harked back to the Wei and Jin
reinterpretation of the archaic styles, where they dynasties, as if in communion with the literati
sometimes became a vehicle for his idealistic of that time. Paying homage to the early sages
emotions. It is no surprise that the game and the and masters through his portrayal, he realized his
theme of chess—much played and discussed with Fu Baoshi, Chess Playing, dated 1944, private pursuit of the essence of Chinese cultural tradition,
collection.
enthusiasm among the traditional literati—would 傅抱石，《對弈圖》，1944年作，私人收藏 his spiritual homeland, with the brush in his hand.
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