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Lot Essay
Lin Fengmian is one of the Chinese artists who went to France under the Work-Study Programme in the early 1920s. His work presents the convergence of the East and the West, interweaving characteristics and techniques of both throughout his oeuvre. Known for his works of female figures and his opera series figures, Nude (Lot 475) is a pivotal example that fully illustrates Lin's artistic proficiency and techniques.
Lin's portrayal of the female nude in Nude is reminiscent of the academic paintings by Western masters such as the Venetian school painter Titian. Like Titian's Venus of Urbino (Fig. 1), the female figure in Lin's work poses in a relaxed yet classical posture with her legs and arms crossed, gazing unconsciously at the viewer. Lin skillfully outlines the body of the nude that contrasts the patterned background she poses in.
Apart from Western Old Masters, Lin's work also reminds one of Cubism that prevailed in the 1910s. The form and shape of the female figure is illustrated lucidly with Lin's use of thin lines to outline the figure's body, whilst flattening the composition at the same time. For Lin, lines are important as they predominantly characterise Chinese paintings and calligraphy, whereas Western aesthetics value colour to complement lines and actualise space. He combines traditional Chinese notion of 'lines' mastering 'shapes' and acquires both 'shapes' and 'spirit' in this painting, rendering a sensory atmosphere.
Lin's portrayal of the female nude in Nude is reminiscent of the academic paintings by Western masters such as the Venetian school painter Titian. Like Titian's Venus of Urbino (Fig. 1), the female figure in Lin's work poses in a relaxed yet classical posture with her legs and arms crossed, gazing unconsciously at the viewer. Lin skillfully outlines the body of the nude that contrasts the patterned background she poses in.
Apart from Western Old Masters, Lin's work also reminds one of Cubism that prevailed in the 1910s. The form and shape of the female figure is illustrated lucidly with Lin's use of thin lines to outline the figure's body, whilst flattening the composition at the same time. For Lin, lines are important as they predominantly characterise Chinese paintings and calligraphy, whereas Western aesthetics value colour to complement lines and actualise space. He combines traditional Chinese notion of 'lines' mastering 'shapes' and acquires both 'shapes' and 'spirit' in this painting, rendering a sensory atmosphere.