CLASSICAL CHINESE PAINTINGS

Travelling Across Mountains

Following the launch of the Chinese Classical Paintings department in Hong Kong earlier this year, Sotheby's Hong Kong is delighted to debut the first dedicated sale of classical Chinese paintings during the Hong Kong Autumn 2015 sale series, adding to its existing saleroom for the category in New York. The sale, to take place on 5 October at the Hall 3 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, offers more than 50 lots, estimated in excess of HK$64 million/ US$8.2 million*. It will feature rare works from the masters of the Song Yuan through Qing dynasties. Highlights include a Song Yuan dynasty album leaf and calligraphy from the Qianlong Emperor; works from the ‘Four Wangs’ and ‘Four Monks’ from the Qing Dynasty, many of which have distinguished provenance from prominent literati figures.

Rongde Zhang, Head of Classical Chinese Paintings, Sotheby’s, said, “To mark the first dedicated sale of Classical Chinese Paintings in Asia for more than a decade, we have meticulously selected important works in line with the collecting tastes of our Asian clients, for whom Hong Kong is an important hub. Formerly from the esteemed collection of Mi Yun Hall, we will offer a four-leaf album, Landscapes, and The Rubbing of Cui Jing Yong’s Epitaph, as well as Summit Lotus from an important private collection – all rarities on the auction market. We will also present eight works from the esteemed Sakamoto Goro Collection, including the Huang Yanlu Travelling Across Mountains handscroll by Shitao. Including some of the finest and rarest works from private collections around the world, this series is arguably one of the most anticipated sales of the season.”


SALE HIGHLIGHTS 

Property from an Important Private Collection
Hongren (1610-1664)
Summit Lotus
Ink on paper, handscroll
Estimate upon request
One of the Qing Dynasty’s ‘Four Monks’, Hongren was among the most outstanding artists of the 17th century. When he died at age 55, he left behind only a small number of works, including very few handscrolls. Among them was Summit Lotus, an exceptionally rare piece painted by the artist to commemorate a trip to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) he took with a friend.


Property from Sakamoto Goro Collection 

Shitao (Yuanji) (1642 – 1718)
Huang Yanlu Travelling Across Mountains. Pictured above.
Ink and colour on paper, a pair of handscroll
Est: HK$8,000,000 – 12,000,000 / US$1,020,000 – 1,530,000
One of the most influential painters of his time, renowned 16th century scholar-artist Shitao had a profound effect on the artistic development of countless Chinese artists who followed in his footsteps. As one the sale highlights, this landscape scroll portrays Shitao’s friend and patron, Huang Yanlu. Particularly noteworthy is the painting’s colophon by more than 30 literati from the late Ming Dynasty, all of whom are friends of Huang Yanlu, illustrating how expansive and close knit his literati circle is. Boasting impeccable provenance, this work comes from the collection of legendary antiques dealer and collector, Sakamoto Goro.


Qing Dynasty Paintings from the ‘Four Wangs’ 

Wang Shimin (1592 – 1680) 
Landscape After Dong Yuan
 Ink on paper, hanging scroll 
Est: HK$200,000 – 280,000 /
 US$25,000 – 35,000

Wang Jian (1598-1677)
Landscape After Dong Qichang
Ink and colour on paper, hanging scroll
Est: HK$2,000,000 – 2,800,000 /
US$250,000 - 350,000

Two early Qing dynasty landscape paintings, by Wang Shimin and Wang Jian, will be featured in this landmark sale. Both disciples of Dong Qichang – revered as the most
influential artist of his time – Wang Shimin and Wang Jian were also members of a group of painters commonly known as the ‘Four Wangs’ who all shared the same family name.

Together with Wang Hui (1632–1717) and Wang Yuanqi (1642–1715), they led an Orthodox school of painting in the early Qing period which advocated seeking inspiration by recreating the styles and techniques of the ancient masters.

Wang Shimin’s Landscape after Dong Yuan is a powerful example of the artist’s early style, showcasing his artistic talents and mastery of the traditional painting approach. He dedicated it to Dong Qichang, his teacher and father-in-law, who later composed a poetry hall found in calligraphy at the top of the scroll, lending a special, personal importance to the work. 

A sophisticated painting by Wang Jian, Landscape after Dong Qichang was painted in 1676, a year before the artist’s death. The work demonstrates Wang’s elegant brushstrokes and sense of composition deeply influenced by his teacher, Dong Qichang. Possessing a well-documented history that can be traced back to the Qianlong period (Qing dynasty), the work was kept in various esteemed private collections.

#trinitycollections

👉 Like. Share. Subscribe to our Post as a support to our labour of love - sharing art.

陶博曼藝術收藏

蘇富比榮幸宣佈，將於今年秋季拍賣季起，在紐約蘇富比呈獻傳奇收藏家、慈 善及商業大亨A  阿弗烈  陶博曼（A. Alfred Taubman）的顯赫藝術收藏*。即將於多場專拍中相繼亮 相的逾500件藝術精品，縱覽古今，囊括高古至當代藝術，總估價高達5億美元／39億港元^，成為拍賣史上總估價最高的私人藝術珍藏。  

陶博曼藝術收藏  
A 阿弗烈  陶博曼今年四月辭世，享壽九十一。陶博曼一生熱愛藝術，從其人生軌跡可見一斑：他早年受訓成為建築師，及後創立史密森學會（Smithsonian Institution）旗下之美國藝術文獻庫（Archives of American Art），並出任惠特尼美國藝術博物館（Whitney Museum of American Art）董事會成員，以及擔任底特律藝術學院（Detroit Institute of Arts）之監察機構——底特律藝術委員會主席多年。「陶博曼的收藏反映了他敏銳超凡的眼光」，蘇富比印象派及現代藝術部門環球聯主管 Simon Shaw 評道：「這一系列拍賣將綜覽陶博曼跨越年代和主題的鑑藏品味。他的名字將與福特（Ford）、古爾德（Gould）、朵蘭斯（Dorrance）、哈維梅耶（Havemeyer）和坦豪斯（Thannhauser）等美國著名收藏家一同載入史冊。無獨有偶地，今次拍賣有一部分拍品亦曾經屬於上述幾位名家的珍藏」。蘇富比當代藝術部門環
球聯主管 Alex Rotter 指出：「每一件作品都是半個世紀來陶博曼親自挑選的佼佼之作，各有典故來源，包括出自賈斯培瓊斯（Jasper Johns）、威廉德庫寧（Willem de Kooning）、傑克森波拉克（Jackson Pollock）等大師之手的傑作，更附有傳奇畫廊如 Leo Castelli、Betty Parsons 和 Xavier Fourcade 的標記」。

此珍藏品類豐富，羅列古今巨匠之作，包括馬克羅斯科（Mark Rothko）、弗蘭克史蒂（Frank Stella）、巴布羅畢加索（Pablo Picasso）、埃貢席勒（Egon Schiele）、溫斯洛荷馬（Winslow Homer）、查爾斯布赫菲（Charles Burchfield）、亞伯特杜勒（Albrecht Dürer）以及拉斐爾（Raphael）。  

陶博曼的不朽傳奇
1950 年，陶博曼白手起家，貸款 5,000 美元創立陶博曼公司（The Taubman Company），專攻設計開發零售建案。陶博曼高瞻遠矚，洞悉美國汽車文化將為城市及郊區帶來蓬勃商機，自 1960 至 1970 年代起，其公司業務蒸蒸日上。他為零售購物體驗帶來全面革新，許多設計構思至今已成為業界標竿。陶博曼堅信業務重心應放在顧客身上，購物不僅是消費，更是休閒娛樂。

1983年陶博曼完成人生中最廣為人知的一次收購——蘇富比拍賣行。他認為拍賣程序對大多數人來說不易理解，拍賣行似乎遙不可及。陶博曼花了近二十年，改變了蘇富比的經營方式，將拍賣推廣至傳統畫廊及骨董商以外的客群，更為國際藝術市場成長注入強大能量。他善用自己對設計的敏感度改善展覽空間及藝術品陳列方式，增強對客戶的吸引力。在他的領導之下，蘇富比推出「溫莎公爵夫人珠寶收藏」（1987年）、「安迪  沃荷收藏」（1988年）、「賈桂林  甘迺迪  歐納西斯故藏」（1996年）等知名拍賣。「阿弗烈  陶博曼創造了今天大家所熟知的蘇富比——不僅是其具標誌性的紐約總部，更包括藏家熟悉的現代拍賣流程系統，」蘇富比行政總裁施泰德表示：「今日的國際藝術市場中，陶博曼的精神和遠見處處可見。」

踏入人生最後數十載，陶博曼慷慨資助眾多藝術、教育及醫療為主的重要項目。他成為密西根大學陶博曼建築與城市規劃學院、A  阿弗烈  陶博曼醫學研究院、醫療保健中心、健康科學圖書館及生物醫學研究大樓的主要贊助人，各項建設因此均以他命名。他更在哈佛大學肯尼迪學院設立州立及地方政府陶博曼研究中心，並資助布朗大學的陶博曼公共政策研究中心和羅倫斯科技大學的 A  阿弗烈  陶博曼工程、建築及生命科學大樓。底特律美術館的 A  阿弗烈  陶博曼大樓則陳列美術館的歐洲油畫收藏。

是次拍賣所得於支付遺產稅項後將撥歸「A 阿弗烈陶博曼基金會」（A. Alfred Taubman Foundation）。「對陶博曼先生而言，最重要的是基金會得以繼續支持藝術、教育及醫學研究，」陶博曼遺產管理基金會發言人克里斯托弗  坦尼森（Christopher Tennyson）表示：「他的家族亦矢志秉承傳統，致力慈善。」  

#trinitycollections

👉 Like. Share. Subscribe to our Post as a support to our labour of love - sharing art.

A Collection of Antiquity & Contemporary

Sotheby’s is thrilled to announce that the collection of legendary collector, philanthropist and businessman A. Alfred Taubman will be sold in a series of dedicated auctions beginning this autumn in New York*. The remarkable collection, which comprises more than 500 works stretching from antiquity to contemporary art, is valued in excess of US$500 million / HK$3.9 billion^, making it the most valuable private collection ever offered at auction.

THE COLLECTION
A. Alfred Taubman, who passed away in April at the age of 91, immersed himself in the arts throughout his life – from his early training as an architect, to critical roles as a founder of the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution, a board member of the Whitney Museum of American Art and longtime Chairman of the Arts Commission of Detroit, the entity which oversaw the Detroit Institute of Arts.  “Alfred had an exceptional visual sense that informed his collecting,” said Simon Shaw, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Department Worldwide.  “The upcoming auctions will unveil Alfred’s extraordinary taste across periods and genres.  The Taubman name will join such storied American collections as Ford, Gould, Dorrance, Havemeyer and Thannhauser.  Interestingly, a number of the works we are presenting for sale were formerly part of those esteemed collections.”  Alex Rotter, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Department Worldwide, commented, “Individual works in the collection, which Alfred personally selected over a half century, tell equally exciting stories, with stunning examples by Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, and Jackson Pollock, bearing the marks of such storied galleries as Leo Castelli, Betty Parsons, and Xavier Fourcade.”
Represented in the broad-ranging collection are an impressive number of iconic artists including: Mark Rothko and Frank Stella; Pablo Picasso and Egon Schiele; Winslow Homer and Charles Burchfield; and Albrecht Dürer and Raphael.

THE LEGACIES OF A. ALFRED TAUBMAN  
A self-made man, A. Alfred Taubman launched The Taubman Company – dedicated to designing and building retail projects – in 1950, with a US$5,000 loan.  Beginning in the 1960s and 70s the business flourished, based in part on his insights about how America’s growing car culture would come to transform cities and suburbs.  He revolutionised the retail experience, creating many of the design innovations that are considered standard in the industry today.  The central focus of Mr. Taubman’s business philosophy was the customer; he recognised that a shopping trip was also a leisure and entertainment experience.

 In 1983, A. Alfred Taubman made his most high-profile acquisition: Sotheby’s auction house.  He considered the auction process too inaccessible for most.  For close to two decades, Mr. Taubman set about changing the way Sotheby’s did business, opening it up far beyond the dealers who were its historic mainstays, and helping to create the stunning growth of the international art market.  He used his design sensitivity to create inviting spaces for customers and introduce innovations in the way works of art were exhibited.  Under his stewardship, sales such as The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor (1987), The Andy Warhol Collection (1988), and the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1996) were presented. “Alfred Taubman created the Sotheby’s we know today, our iconic headquarters in New York, and the modern auction system for fine art collectors,” said Tad Smith, President & CEO of Sotheby’s, adding, “you can see his profound legacy and vision everywhere in today’s global art market.”

Throughout the later decades of his life, A. Alfred Taubman committed his substantial fortune to support many major causes, primarily in the arts, education and medicine.  He was the principal benefactor of the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute and the Health Care Center, Health Sciences Library and Biomedical Science Research building, each of which bears his name.  At Harvard University’s Kennedy School, he established The Taubman Center for State and Local Government.  He also funded the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University and The A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Architecture and Life Sciences Complex at Lawrence Technological University. The A. Alfred Taubman Wing at the Detroit Institute of Arts houses the museum’s European paintings collection.    

Proceeds from the sale will be used to settle estate tax obligations and fund the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation.  “It was important to Mr. Taubman that the Taubman Foundation continue to be a source of support for the arts, education and medical research,” said Christopher Tennyson, a spokesperson for the Taubman estate.  “His family is committed to continuing Mr. Taubman’s philanthropic tradition.”  

#trinitycollections

👉 Like. Share. Subscribe to our Post as a support to our labour of love - sharing art.

SILENT SONGS : INK PAINTINGS BY XUE LIANG AND JIANG HONGWEI

From 4 to 25 September, Christie’s will stage a private selling exhibition of Chinese contemporary ink paintings at their Hong Kong headquarters. Featuring over 40 works by Xue Liang and Jiang Hongwei, “Silent Songs” explores the rich history of ink and brush painting through the lens of two of its foremost contemporary practitioners.
The two artists emerge through similar trajectories: both were born in the second half of the 1950s in the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu, graduated from the Nanjing University of the Arts several years apart, and continue to live and work in Nanjing to this day. They refine the tradition known as the fine brush (gongbi), where meticulous brushwork and precise realism are prized, to convey a sense of tranquility that appeals to the contemporary viewer.

Xue Liang’s surreal, phantasmagorical landscapes are created using a familiar visual vocabulary—rivers, trees and mountains—that populate the traditional Chinese landscape paintings. These archetypal forms are abstracted and purified to build a landscape of the mind. Graduating from the Nanjing University of the Arts in 1982, Xue has worked at the Jiangsu Chinese Paintings Institute since 1997 and serves as the director of the Fu Baoshi Memorial Museum.

Inspired by Song Dynasty paintings, Jiang Hongwei celebrates the tranquility of nature by depicting flowers and birds with supreme elegance, while imbuing his paintings with a greyish tone to symbolise the passage of time. The artist applies layers of ink to paper, allows it to dry, and repeats the process to accumulate layers of colour. He entered the Nanjing University of the Arts in 1974, and continued to work and lecture at the University following his graduation in 1977. He currently serves as a researcher at the China Art Research Institute. 

#trinitycollections

👉 Like. Share. Subscribe to our Post as a support to our labour of love - sharing art.

「鳥鳴山幽-薛亮、江宏偉水墨作品展」

私人洽購展覽將於 9 月 4 至 25 日在香港佳士得藝廊舉 行,呈獻著名中國當代水墨藝術家薛亮及江宏偉逾 40 幅作品,以當代視野重新詮釋沉澱千餘年的山 水、花鳥畫深厚傳統。
薛亮與江宏偉的成長與職業軌跡頗具相似之處:二人均在 1950 年代中生於江蘇,並同為南京藝術學院 畢業生,現在依然於南京生活、工作。兩位藝術家思古品今,致力運用精謹細膩的工筆筆法創作,意 境幽深靜謐、清雅悠遠,足堪細賞。 


薛亮筆下的山水奇幻而帶有超現實色彩,由傳統山水畫 中常見的視覺元素重新組合而成。山、水、林、石等造 型符號在藝術家的抽象表現與淨化下,轉化為極簡的幾 何圖形,展現出帶有強烈表達性的「心象山水」。薛亮 1982 年畢業於南京藝術學院,1997 年至今任江蘇國畫院 副院長、傅抱石紀念館館長及中國藝術研究院研究員。 

江宏偉受宋人工筆畫影響,追求自然深幽雅逸之趣,善 於表現花鳥題材中的精緻典雅之美。他的畫作浸潤著一 種灰色調,以表現時光的流逝。畫家將一層層墨鋪展在 紙面上,待墨乾透後再重複這一過程,色彩層層積累, 畫作始成。江宏偉 1974 年就讀於南京藝術學院美術系, 1977 年畢業後留校任教,現任職於中國藝術研究院。 

#trinitycollections

👉 Like. Share. Subscribe to our Post as a support to our labour of love - sharing art.