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Lot Essay
Yan Peiming does not discriminate between political leaders, religious figures, celebrities and criminals. They are all given the same treatment: a sole face - made up of loose, broad brushstrokes of black or red, with critical touches of white - emerges from a stark background on a massive canvas. Generously applied paint drips down along the surface, unabashedly disclosing its artificiality, but it does not detract from the immediate recognisability and gravity of the subject's face.
Here, Yan depicts Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party and founding father of Modern China, whose legacy remains profoundly felt in the Chinese consciousness. Although Yan grew up during the Cultural Revolution and even painted propaganda art, he was never interested in politics; he was only interested in painting portraits. Long after he migrated to France in 1980, Yan continued to paint Mao, which likely provided familiarity and comfort in a foreign land. Yan capitalised on the iconography of Mao, stating that "nobody knew Yan Peiming, but everybody knew Mao Zedong." Yan soon became recognised in Europe for his monumental and arresting portraits of Mao.
The large format and subject matter of the portrait continue the Communist tradition of glorifying the Chinese leader and his ideals. Yan sticks to a monochromatic palette because it is "simple" and "direct," allowing one to focus on the subject at hand. One might be quick to associate red with Communism, but Yan has always asserted that he uses the colour for its happy, auspicious meaning in Chinese culture. Yan's rough, almost-abstract manner of painting is an outright rejection of Socialist Realism. As one of the first contemporary artists to leave China and settle in France, Yan had prolonged exposure to Western art traditions. He particularly admired the dark, moving portraits of Goya, and the swift, gestural style of Monet and de Kooning.
The title of the painting further undermines the concept of glorification, reminding us that this is just another official portrait, like a passport photo or mug shot. Yan highlights the human tendency to reduce everything to a mere symbol, the power of which, when harnessed, can effectively promote ideas and even galvanize a nation. Hence, a fine line is drawn between the ordinary and the extraordinary, celebrity and anonymity. Incidentally, by playing both iconographer and iconoclast, Yan also raises some interesting questions about the role of the artist.
Here, Yan depicts Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party and founding father of Modern China, whose legacy remains profoundly felt in the Chinese consciousness. Although Yan grew up during the Cultural Revolution and even painted propaganda art, he was never interested in politics; he was only interested in painting portraits. Long after he migrated to France in 1980, Yan continued to paint Mao, which likely provided familiarity and comfort in a foreign land. Yan capitalised on the iconography of Mao, stating that "nobody knew Yan Peiming, but everybody knew Mao Zedong." Yan soon became recognised in Europe for his monumental and arresting portraits of Mao.
The large format and subject matter of the portrait continue the Communist tradition of glorifying the Chinese leader and his ideals. Yan sticks to a monochromatic palette because it is "simple" and "direct," allowing one to focus on the subject at hand. One might be quick to associate red with Communism, but Yan has always asserted that he uses the colour for its happy, auspicious meaning in Chinese culture. Yan's rough, almost-abstract manner of painting is an outright rejection of Socialist Realism. As one of the first contemporary artists to leave China and settle in France, Yan had prolonged exposure to Western art traditions. He particularly admired the dark, moving portraits of Goya, and the swift, gestural style of Monet and de Kooning.
The title of the painting further undermines the concept of glorification, reminding us that this is just another official portrait, like a passport photo or mug shot. Yan highlights the human tendency to reduce everything to a mere symbol, the power of which, when harnessed, can effectively promote ideas and even galvanize a nation. Hence, a fine line is drawn between the ordinary and the extraordinary, celebrity and anonymity. Incidentally, by playing both iconographer and iconoclast, Yan also raises some interesting questions about the role of the artist.