Page 10 - Sotheby's Chinese Paintings Auction New York September 11, 2018

Introduction

భ࿽

Tang Hung (1926–2018), courtesy name Chunzhi, a immigrated to the United States, where he continued to
descendant of the royal Manchu clan of Yehenara, was paint incessantly. His works were frequently exhibited
born into a family of painters in Beijing. His father, in the Washington D.C. and Seattle areas, and attract-
Tang Yi (1904-1972), courtesy name Haolan, is listed ed a new group of audience in North America. In terms
as a student in Dafengtang Tongmenlu (a record of the of technique, Tang Hung’s calligraphy and paintings
students of Zhang Daqian and Zhang Shanzi) since build on that of Yu Fei’an (please refer to Tang Hung’s
1948. Tang Yi’s painting style is reminiscent of the works on p.18-21). Particularly apparent in his " ower
small blue-and-green landscapes by Zhang Daqian and birds paintings, one can see how he studiously
in the 1940s (! gure 1). Tang Hung followed the built upon the art of his teacher Yu Fei’an, be it in the
tradition of his family and began studying Chinese selection of subjects, construction of the image, brush-
Paintings before he reached ten years of age. In 1937 work, or application of color. Beginning in the 1970s,
he began studying calligraphy in slender-gold script his landscapes consist primarily of pomo (splashed ink)
and " ower and bird painting in the Song dynasty court and pocai (splashed color) in xieyi (broad stroke) style,
style under Yu Fei’an. In 1944 he entered the National revealing the heavy in" uence of his later teacher Zhang
Beiping Art School, and in 1948 he graduated from Daqian. According to a note written on the wrapper by
the Department of Traditional Chinese Painting of Tang Hung, Unintentional Splashed Color (lot 569) is
the Beiping Academy of Chinese Fine Arts. His works the undermat paper Zhang Daqian used for a pocai in
were presented in many solo exhibitions in Beijing, one of his paintings, but within the ink composition on
Tianjin, and Shanghai during this time. In 1949 Tang this paper one can also discern an a$ nity in one of Tang
Hung moved to Taiwan, where he taught, exhibited Hung’s pocai landscapes. In his landscapes, Tang Hung
(! gure 2), and participated in many provincial and fac- takes inspiration directly from nature. A lea" ess tree, to
ulty exhibitions. When Zhang Daqian visited Taiwan, which the artist often returns to ponder over its beauty,
Tang Hung was part of the National Party governmen- frequently appears in his landscapes (! gure 8).
tal delegation that greeted him (! gures 3, 4). After he
moved to Hong Kong in the early 1960s, Tang Hung Fung Bi-Che (1916–2009), whose original name was
began teaching in the Fine Arts department at the Di, was born in Shunde, Guangdong. She began to
Chinese University of Hong Kong as he continued to study painting around the age of twenty, taking the
hold solo exhibitions of his works at various venues, traditional path of copying the works of Shen Zhou.
including the Chatham Gallery and the Sally Jackson She started learning the techniques of " ower and bird,
Art Gallery. He subsequently founded the San Chuan and ! gure painting under Li Fenggong; and eventually
Art Society to promote Chinese ink painting and led the practiced landscape painting under the instruction of
group. # roughout the 1980s and 1990s, he organized Huang Junbi. During this time she also studied poetry
numerous joint exhibitions with his students and fellow under Xie Wuliang and Yang Qianli. One can get a
painters in such venues as Hong Kong City Hall and Sha glimpse of her active presence in the ! eld of poetry in
Tin Town Hall (! gures 5, 6, 7). In 1995 Tang Hung the inscription by Pang Chunshi’s Poems in Running

10 SOTHEBY’S