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Lot Essay
Pang Jiun was born in Shanghai and received a formal artist's training at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, which provided him with a strong foundation in Chinese art philosophy and traditional styles. However, Pang's education under Xu Beihong, one of the first artists permitted to study abroad in Europe, prompted him to experiment with Western techniques and formed the basis of his innovative Sino-Western style, and accomplish his aim to "apprehend essences of the theory and philosophy of Chinese painting and reflect them back in western painting". This can be seen primarily in his Impressionistic style, and use of oil paints rather than ink.
Old Trees, White Walls (Lot 506) is a brilliant exhibition of Pang's unusual mixture of styles: he has used oil paint to depict a traditional Chinese wall, with intricate window frames and curving tiles. In the bottom left corner, Pang has signed the painting in the style of a traditional red Chinese seal, further adhering to tradition. However, the fact that the seal has been painted by hand and in oil paint creates an interesting juxtaposition of Chinese tradition versus new Western styles. Moreover, the painting is predominantly impressionistic in style, with bold tonal transitions and clear painterly brushstrokes confidently applied. This, along with Pang's impasto application of oil paint and thick use of line, also counteracts the Chinese subject matter with its Western provenance and contrasts with the delicacy of Chinese ink paintings. The muted palette, typical of traditional Chinese paintings as well as Pang's landscapes, contributes to the simple nature of the scene depicted, and adds a sense of tranquility and lyricism.
Old Trees, White Walls (Lot 506) is a brilliant exhibition of Pang's unusual mixture of styles: he has used oil paint to depict a traditional Chinese wall, with intricate window frames and curving tiles. In the bottom left corner, Pang has signed the painting in the style of a traditional red Chinese seal, further adhering to tradition. However, the fact that the seal has been painted by hand and in oil paint creates an interesting juxtaposition of Chinese tradition versus new Western styles. Moreover, the painting is predominantly impressionistic in style, with bold tonal transitions and clear painterly brushstrokes confidently applied. This, along with Pang's impasto application of oil paint and thick use of line, also counteracts the Chinese subject matter with its Western provenance and contrasts with the delicacy of Chinese ink paintings. The muted palette, typical of traditional Chinese paintings as well as Pang's landscapes, contributes to the simple nature of the scene depicted, and adds a sense of tranquility and lyricism.