Lin Fengmian believes that the use of line in painting occupies an important place in Chinese art. Lines are fundamental elements in hieroglyphs, which are constructed with lines; in calligraphy, which emphasizes balance, harmony, changes and patterns of lines; and in ceramic painting as well as ink paintings. In Autumn Landscape (Lot 161), Lin modernized the relationships between "shapes" and "lines", delineating the shape of the scene in the middle and background with gold borders and building up the space with lines. This is different from the method of modeling space with colour as is utilized by most Western artists. Lin attempted to confine objects with lines, linking vast landscapes with lines that encompass the entire composition and tie the elements closely together. This approach of the shape confining outline has been developed independently in Chinese and Western art history, but such developments share similar aspects. Bada Shanren from the late Ming dynasty attempted to capture the essence of objects through highly symbolic and metaphorical "lines". He expressed the "shape" and "gist" of an image with only lines that were essential. The modern Western artist Alexander Calder created hanging mobiles by connecting geometric sheet metal plates through lines of wire. The mobiles are in constant movement, producing different light and shadows. In Autumn Landscape, the dark and distant mountains are distinctively embroidered with gold lines. When viewed from a distance, the mountains overlap with each other, creating a fluid sense of continuity. The cottage shimmering in golden lines is highlighted within the whole composition, adding great volume to the mountainous scenery surrounded by trees.
Lot 160 Seated Lady
On character design, especially on the treatment of faces, Lin Fengmian combined the traditional Chinese notion of "lines" mastering "shapes" and acquired both "shapes" and "spirit," which is also coherent with the minimalist aesthetics in Western modern art. Bada Shanren from the late Ming dynasty captured the essence of objects through highly symbolic and metaphorical "lines," expressing the "shape" and "gist" of an image with only lines that were essential. Brancusi, the Western modern sculptor, returned to a minimal concept and created Sleeping Muse with her facial features barely articulated. In Lin's work, he was inspired by the makeup of Chinese opera actresses that emphasized the contours of the nose. Lin appropriated the idea and extended the simple lines of the eyebrows to the nose, and painted the eyes with thick ink, portraying a simple yet vivid face. The look of the lady's face is not only exemplary of Lin's signature style, but also a successful fusion of Chinese and Western art that presents a sophisticated concept with great simplicity.