Lot  145 Ravenel Autumn Auction 2019 Taipei

Ravenel Autumn Auction 2019 Taipei

Neige de Mai

CHU Teh-chun (Chinese-French, 1920 - 2014)

1987

Oil on canvas

65 x 81 cm

Estimate

TWD 28,000,000-36,000,000

HKD 7,089,000-9,114,000

USD 905,300-1,163,900

CNY 6,481,000-8,333,000

Sold Price


Signature

Signed lower right CHU TEH-CHUN in Chinese and English Signed on the reverse CHU TEH-CHUN in Chinese and French, titled Neige de Mai, dated 1986-87
This painting is to be sold with a certificate of authenticity issued by Chu Teh-chun Foundation

PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from Lung Men Art Gallery, 1987

+ OVERVIEW

White Poetic Contemplation - Chu Teh-chun’s "Transcending Landscape Painting"

The vast universe is full of endless color gradations. The beautiful forms of clouds construct a spiritual space in the painting. Chu Teh-chun’s “landscape” originates from the scenery in his memory. Chu reinterprets the scenes in his paintings, ingeniously refining his heartfelt realistic scenes through the unique painting characteristics of the East and the West. He applies an abstract naturalistic approach by blending these unique cultural sources together to recreate the beauty of life. The light radiates out the vitality of life and evokes the charm of being detached from the object, or, “creating the emotion beyond the image,” as presented by the Tang Dynasty poet Tu Sikong in Twenty-Four Poems. Originally described as poetry’s artistic conception, the beauty of detachment is also a metaphor, which can also be applied describing to Chu Teh-Chun's paintings.

The most realistic paintings come from memories.”– Pierre Cabanne

"I have painted several white-toned paintings. When I was on a trip to Geneva, I saw the Alps covered with white snow and permeating white clouds. When the clearly defined white layers of snow and clouds filled with change, my heart only held the scene of the clouds hovering over the white ground along with the emerging layers. My mind seemed to follow the depth and shades of the changes, and suddenly, the image of many Tang poems materialized. " Chu has reminisced about the instigation of the aura. During a flight in 1985, Chu saw the snowy scenes of the Alps, and the poems of Li Bai, Du Fu, and other such poets emerged in his heart, giving Chu much excitement. The stimulating beauty of nature has inspired his new interpretation of abstract paintings, thus developing his most praised and meaningful and "Snow Scene series".

"The mountains are covered with foggy clouds, and there is no difference between the sky and earth. In the dark forest of the mountains, one can only hear and not see the sound of howling monkeys." - Wang Wei

Chu has once again reached a creative peak with his “Snow Scene” series. His landscape space seems to combine the pulsation of the atmosphere. Ranging from the vast sky to the rooted ground, the rhythm of the atmosphere is one with nature. This painting, Neige de Mai, was created in 1987. It reveals the beauty and various formations of flowing clouds. The rare “Snow Scene”series is of even more collective value. It is also the finest masterpiece created by the artist during his life. Chu once recalled the inspiration of that aura. Neige de Mai only uses the minimalist blue, white, and black colors to interweave the white landscape of his memory. The smooth brushstrokes are like the brush grazes of Chinese calligraphy, much like interweaving dance manifested by the rhythm of notes. The oil colors are woven into the artistic conception of the condensed frost, and the round ink spots illustrate the spirit’s vitality and the vigorousness of the ink. The thin lines are staggered like nets, and the color and composition are all a stroke of genius. The elegant, comfortable, and liberating brush strokes exhibit the vitality flow of nature.

In 1987, the National Museum of History held “Chu Teh-chun: Retrospective” exhibition. The exhibition was the first time Chu returned to Taiwan 32 years after he left. It exhibited 40 important works from 1953 to 1987. It also had an important influence on the then-burgeoning Taiwanese art market, and Chu, who returned to Taiwan again, re-constructed the oriental elements of his paintings. Chu created an abundant amount of works in his life. Since the "Snow Scene" series created in the late 1980s were scarce, they became immensely popular with collectors. The series is among the two most sought-after periods of Chu's works in the art market. After several turbulences and cultural circulation, Chu expresses his abundant life experiences through painting, showcasing his spiritual integration with nature. His art contains vitality and the spirit of the Eastern literati, reflecting his life feelings and showing the cosmic atmosphere that he has become one with.
Related Info

Modern & Contemporary Asian Art

Ravenel Autumn Auction 2019 Taipei

Sunday, December 1, 2019, 2:00pm