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Lot Essay
Lotus, with a harmonious colour palette and a crystal clear yet ethereal composition, fully exemplifies the subtleties of Lin Fengmian's painting technique. As Lin himself said, 'Imitation of nature is at the heart of Western art, and it therefore leans toward the realistic end of things. Portraying imagination is at the heart of Eastern art, and it therefore leans toward freestyle, impressionistic painting…the reason the two should communicate and merge is because, while different, they each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses.'
Lin Fengmian came to understand and to master both Eastern and Western art. He skillfully applied an emphasis on light and color, borrowed from the Western Impressionists, while expressing the sense of delight and the personal outlook found in the literati painters of China. To the Chinese, the lotus flower represents noble elegance and purity; the image of an unsullied bloom rising from muddy water symbolizes the ability to find higher truth, even when immersed in worldly concerns. The lotus was therefore extolled by writers and poets as 'the gentleman among flowers.' In Lotus, Lin depicts fresh, delicate, and full lotus buds rising above green waves. Expressing their limpid, faultless petals with amazing, transparent technique, he pursues the beauty of the lotus as did the ancient literati and all the generations since.
Lin Fengmian loved flowers. He painted many still lifes on a wide variety of floral themes, yet it was rare for him to paint lotus flowers with the same close-up focus and detail of a still life. Most often his depictions showed them in scenic landscape compositions featuring an entire Lotus. In real life, lotus flowers are small and shy, almost hiding behind their large leaves. But instead of making them merely a small part of a larger Lotus scene, Lin Fengmian here chooses to focus explicitly on the flowers themselves. Bypassing the layered leaves, he makes the bright, glistening lotus blooms the protagonists of this work on paper.
The aesthetics of Chinese art are informed with the element of line. Energetic lines form the backbone of a painting, creating rhythm and movement. In Lotus, this backbone appears in the flower stalks, extending upward against the deep turquoise background, highlighting the rising and falling white blooms. Lin does not employ the Western devices of either perspective or light and shadow, but even without them, he conveys the physicality and lifelike feel of the flowers through
fine detail and careful sculpting of their shapes. Zhang Daqian and Sanyu were two other artists who also excelled at depicting the lotus; Sanyu's interpretations focused on their sense of independence and self-respect, while the quiet elegance of Zhang Daqian's ink washes emphasized their free and natural character. Lin Fengmian fills the space of his painting with fresh and beautiful color that spreads in a perfect balance throughout the composition; the combined effect of lines and decorative regions of color reflect the irrepressible rhythms of life.
Lin Fengmian once said, 'Art is an embodiment of beauty. In part, it derives from balance and proportion.' Lin's Lotus is a lively, exuberant work, based on a balanced composition of line and color. It reflects his mature understanding of essential Eastern and Western ideas, and displays an ingenious blend of Western technique with Eastern moods and sensibilities.
Lin Fengmian came to understand and to master both Eastern and Western art. He skillfully applied an emphasis on light and color, borrowed from the Western Impressionists, while expressing the sense of delight and the personal outlook found in the literati painters of China. To the Chinese, the lotus flower represents noble elegance and purity; the image of an unsullied bloom rising from muddy water symbolizes the ability to find higher truth, even when immersed in worldly concerns. The lotus was therefore extolled by writers and poets as 'the gentleman among flowers.' In Lotus, Lin depicts fresh, delicate, and full lotus buds rising above green waves. Expressing their limpid, faultless petals with amazing, transparent technique, he pursues the beauty of the lotus as did the ancient literati and all the generations since.
Lin Fengmian loved flowers. He painted many still lifes on a wide variety of floral themes, yet it was rare for him to paint lotus flowers with the same close-up focus and detail of a still life. Most often his depictions showed them in scenic landscape compositions featuring an entire Lotus. In real life, lotus flowers are small and shy, almost hiding behind their large leaves. But instead of making them merely a small part of a larger Lotus scene, Lin Fengmian here chooses to focus explicitly on the flowers themselves. Bypassing the layered leaves, he makes the bright, glistening lotus blooms the protagonists of this work on paper.
The aesthetics of Chinese art are informed with the element of line. Energetic lines form the backbone of a painting, creating rhythm and movement. In Lotus, this backbone appears in the flower stalks, extending upward against the deep turquoise background, highlighting the rising and falling white blooms. Lin does not employ the Western devices of either perspective or light and shadow, but even without them, he conveys the physicality and lifelike feel of the flowers through
fine detail and careful sculpting of their shapes. Zhang Daqian and Sanyu were two other artists who also excelled at depicting the lotus; Sanyu's interpretations focused on their sense of independence and self-respect, while the quiet elegance of Zhang Daqian's ink washes emphasized their free and natural character. Lin Fengmian fills the space of his painting with fresh and beautiful color that spreads in a perfect balance throughout the composition; the combined effect of lines and decorative regions of color reflect the irrepressible rhythms of life.
Lin Fengmian once said, 'Art is an embodiment of beauty. In part, it derives from balance and proportion.' Lin's Lotus is a lively, exuberant work, based on a balanced composition of line and color. It reflects his mature understanding of essential Eastern and Western ideas, and displays an ingenious blend of Western technique with Eastern moods and sensibilities.