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拍品專文
(US$103,200-129,000)
Recollections of a private student at Master Lin Fengmian's studio in Shanghai
My mother and Madame Alice Lin, Mr Lin Fengmian's French wife, had been friends for some time when finally I had a chance to meet the Master painter in person. In Shanghai's olden days foreign ladies married to Chinese often gathered in friendly circles. Madame Lin and her charming daughter Dino, who was a Eurasian just like me, often came to our home at Sinlo Lu to have tea with us and they were always accompanied by Lin Fengmian's Austrian son-in-law, Mr. Markowitz.
I adored Lin Fengmian's painting, his style, his unusual sense for colour schemes and the charm of his subjects and compositions. We had already acquired some of the master's works, as it was Madame Lin who had the habit of receiving clients on the ground floor of their house at 56 Nanchang Road. It was obvious that the creator of these beautiful paintings preferred to stay aloof and let his wife, who also did all the mounting work herself, perform the business obligations.
I had studied the Chinese clasical painting styles with Lu Yifei and painting had become a pasionate pastime, when I tried myself in the modern style of Lin Fengmian. The result was surprisingly good so that Madame Lin proposed to let her husband see some of my paintings. Until that moment Master Lin had declared through his wife, that he no longer teaching and prefers to utilize his free time for his own creative activity. "Fengmian was very moved to see your work," Madame Lin said, "because of your talent he will exceptionally accept you as his student." In this way I started my studies under Lin Fengmian's guidance during four and a half years until 1958 when I left China for Switzerland.
Rather small in stature, Lin Fengmian was a very kind and mild man with a certain shyness. He always bore a gentle smile on his face, but when he took up his brush and started painting the expression in his face would change and one could feel his total concentration and absorption. I realized the privilege of being his unique student and to have the possibility of receiving his teaching every week during years.
I remember well the room on the first floor of 53 Nanchang Road, where the Master had his tudio. A big table near a bright window through which one could see tall trees, changing their foliage according to the seasons. There was a chosen piece of antique from the Song Dynasty and a potted bamboo on a shelf and some of his recent works pinned to the wall. In another specially constructed piece of furniture Mr Lin had carefully filed his works in separated compartments, among these his very unique and personal collection. Lin Fengmian had to be in one of his special moods to be ready to bring out these treasures one by one and show them to me. I was fascinated every time by these masterpieces and their different subjects and the atmosphere they transmitted. Alas it was just these extraordingary works which the Master cherished most, that he was ordered to destroy during the terrible Cultural Revolution. In Mr Lin's paintings I often remarked an influence of Henri Matisse and Modigliani, a strong touch of French Impressionism. And the Master liked to tell me of his student days in France, as we were conversing in French. Otherwise he did not speak any English, whereas his Cantonese dialect and my Shanghainese were unfortunately incompatible.
The old fashioned way of studying with a teacher bore many privileges. There was respect and reverence and yet much proximity between student and Master. I prepared different paintings during the week, to have the teacher see, comment and correct these during the lesson. Master Lin preferred brushes used for calligraphy and once he showed me a very old and used up brush with which he could bring out unusual effect. The subject of money was never touched. The amount for the tuition had been convened with Madame Lin and I used to put the banknotes into an envelope and push it under the porcelain vase on his table, without mentioning a word. Lin Fengmian also painted little sketches for me that I could take home and keep.
During my last lesson before leaving China, Mr Lin told me how much he too would like to see Europe again and he added, "I have taught you all about technique and composition. Remember that you learned and always feel free to paint whatever inspires you. There are no limits in painting. You must feel absolute freedom in expressing your ideas and emotions."
It was the last time I saw my teacher, although I wrote to him faithfully every New Year to wish him well. I had heard that his family had settled in Brazil but only located Dino Terese Lin Markowitz in 2000. Finally just a few months ago she replied to my letter, expressing her emotions and joy to ahve news from such a long time friend from long ago.
Li Ai Vee
Switzerland
Recollections of a private student at Master Lin Fengmian's studio in Shanghai
My mother and Madame Alice Lin, Mr Lin Fengmian's French wife, had been friends for some time when finally I had a chance to meet the Master painter in person. In Shanghai's olden days foreign ladies married to Chinese often gathered in friendly circles. Madame Lin and her charming daughter Dino, who was a Eurasian just like me, often came to our home at Sinlo Lu to have tea with us and they were always accompanied by Lin Fengmian's Austrian son-in-law, Mr. Markowitz.
I adored Lin Fengmian's painting, his style, his unusual sense for colour schemes and the charm of his subjects and compositions. We had already acquired some of the master's works, as it was Madame Lin who had the habit of receiving clients on the ground floor of their house at 56 Nanchang Road. It was obvious that the creator of these beautiful paintings preferred to stay aloof and let his wife, who also did all the mounting work herself, perform the business obligations.
I had studied the Chinese clasical painting styles with Lu Yifei and painting had become a pasionate pastime, when I tried myself in the modern style of Lin Fengmian. The result was surprisingly good so that Madame Lin proposed to let her husband see some of my paintings. Until that moment Master Lin had declared through his wife, that he no longer teaching and prefers to utilize his free time for his own creative activity. "Fengmian was very moved to see your work," Madame Lin said, "because of your talent he will exceptionally accept you as his student." In this way I started my studies under Lin Fengmian's guidance during four and a half years until 1958 when I left China for Switzerland.
Rather small in stature, Lin Fengmian was a very kind and mild man with a certain shyness. He always bore a gentle smile on his face, but when he took up his brush and started painting the expression in his face would change and one could feel his total concentration and absorption. I realized the privilege of being his unique student and to have the possibility of receiving his teaching every week during years.
I remember well the room on the first floor of 53 Nanchang Road, where the Master had his tudio. A big table near a bright window through which one could see tall trees, changing their foliage according to the seasons. There was a chosen piece of antique from the Song Dynasty and a potted bamboo on a shelf and some of his recent works pinned to the wall. In another specially constructed piece of furniture Mr Lin had carefully filed his works in separated compartments, among these his very unique and personal collection. Lin Fengmian had to be in one of his special moods to be ready to bring out these treasures one by one and show them to me. I was fascinated every time by these masterpieces and their different subjects and the atmosphere they transmitted. Alas it was just these extraordingary works which the Master cherished most, that he was ordered to destroy during the terrible Cultural Revolution. In Mr Lin's paintings I often remarked an influence of Henri Matisse and Modigliani, a strong touch of French Impressionism. And the Master liked to tell me of his student days in France, as we were conversing in French. Otherwise he did not speak any English, whereas his Cantonese dialect and my Shanghainese were unfortunately incompatible.
The old fashioned way of studying with a teacher bore many privileges. There was respect and reverence and yet much proximity between student and Master. I prepared different paintings during the week, to have the teacher see, comment and correct these during the lesson. Master Lin preferred brushes used for calligraphy and once he showed me a very old and used up brush with which he could bring out unusual effect. The subject of money was never touched. The amount for the tuition had been convened with Madame Lin and I used to put the banknotes into an envelope and push it under the porcelain vase on his table, without mentioning a word. Lin Fengmian also painted little sketches for me that I could take home and keep.
During my last lesson before leaving China, Mr Lin told me how much he too would like to see Europe again and he added, "I have taught you all about technique and composition. Remember that you learned and always feel free to paint whatever inspires you. There are no limits in painting. You must feel absolute freedom in expressing your ideas and emotions."
It was the last time I saw my teacher, although I wrote to him faithfully every New Year to wish him well. I had heard that his family had settled in Brazil but only located Dino Terese Lin Markowitz in 2000. Finally just a few months ago she replied to my letter, expressing her emotions and joy to ahve news from such a long time friend from long ago.
Li Ai Vee
Switzerland