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Lot Essay
Chen Cheng-Po's paintings are infused with the elegance of both Eastern and Western art, and at the same time reflect his passion, straightforwardness, and eye for detail. With his broad vision and sharp observant nature, he stands his ground within the history of contemporary Chinese art, and is a pioneer in his field. Chen Cheng-Po was born in 1895, and he dedicated his life to his nation, homeland, family, and his beloved art. He studied under Japanese painting master Kinichiro Ishikawa early in his career, and learnt still-life drawing techniques in Taiwan before travelling to the Tokyo University of the Arts to learn Western painting. Afterwards, he went to Shanghai, where he consolidated all that he had absorbed in both Eastern and Western painting techniques. While in Shanghai, he inherited a legacy of Chinese ink painting styles and techniques, and was also highly affected by his introduction to Western painting.
China plunged into political turmoil at the start of 20th century. Chinese artists who are deeply influenced by Western modern art theories gathered in Shanghai. After Chen's graduation from the Western Painting department at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he took up the responsibility of teaching art in Shanghai in 1929. Between 1931 and 1932 Chen joined the Juelanshe (The Storm Society), along with his artist friends such as Pan Yuliang and Wang Jiyuan. His close proximity to these artists resulted in him being influenced by Parisian and other Western arts movements of the time.
His decision to settle in Shanghai would leave a huge impression on Chen's artwork, for he once confirmed Chinese ink artists Bada Shanren and Ni Zan as his most important influences in the techniques of lines and brushworks. Bada Shanren and Ni Zan, both literati painters of Chinese ink art, poured the landscapes of their minds into their art. Their emphasis on environmental symbolism, and the lack of regard to composition this produced in their art, resulted in unique, unfettered brushwork. Chen made use of this technique in the creation of his own still life oil paintings and watercolour sketches. This season, Christie's proudly presents nine of Chen's pieces from an important private collection, six of which are oil paintings and three watercolour works on paper. One is able to see the way Chen combines Western painting techniques and elements of traditional literati art into his works, and multiple sketches of watercolour nudes he painted on paper throughout 1932.
Shanghai Ferry Pier (Lot 447) was painted around 1932 to 1933, before Chen left Shanghai to return to Taiwan. The wider vision and the circular structure was what Chen frequently used. The familial scene in the foreground is also what frequently appears in his works. His artworks throughout that period of time were heavily focused on landscape structures, as this particular painting does by conveying the sentiment of a dockside parting. Upon his return to Taiwan in 1933, Chen produced countless creations, including Sea of Clouds (Lot 449), painted in 1935. Traces of what Chen learnt from Chinese ink painting and the notion of "subjective observations, objective painting" he learnt from Bada Shanren and Nizan could be found in this particular piece. Bagua Mountain (2) (Lot 448) was painted in early 1940, and Chen's former apprenticeship under Kinochiro Ishikawa is apparent within the work - the S-shaped linear structure, which he had learnt from Ishikawa, is apparent in this painting. One can observe the way the S-line leads the viewer's sight towards the foreground on which a pair of hikers stand, along the spiraling mountain path up to the summit; the travelers climbing up the winding road invites the viewer's attention upward. In Building (Lot 451), Chen makes use of quick blots in his brushwork sketch of the leaves and branches, the sway of the leaves as though a wind is passing through it, giving the trees in the foreground a sense of movement. Chen evokes Fauvist colours in the brick-red of the tower and the various shades of green in the leaves. The landscape of Hongmao Lake (Lot 452) is dominated by the circular structure of a pool in its centre, with bare trees that reach up to the sky in the foreground obscuring the viewer's line of sight. A disproportionally large wanderer is blotted onto the image, emphasizing the silent bliss of them disconnect with the world.
Chen produced a large quantity of lightcolour sketches during his time in Shanghai. Most of his sketches were female nudes, and are the foundations of his technical skills in line art and brushwork. His light-colour artworks were created in 1932, when he was still in Shanghai absorbing theories of Chinese ink painting and Western art. Nude on a Red Carpet (Lot 450) can perhaps be viewed as a cumulative oil art piece of the time he spent studying Eastern and Western artistic techniques, and even be said to be the seminal work of his nude female studies. One can observe Chen's progression from still life to more impressionistic renderings within his light-colour sketches. Seated Nude (Lot 453), Standing Nude (Lot 454), and Lying Nude (Lot 455) were created in 1932, and in the process, Chen deliberately employed iris-coloured stains to emphasis shadows and light and the figure of the body. A close examination of the figure in Lying Nude shows the level of detail that went into the feet, and in Seated Nude, the figure's form is sketched out in simple brushwork, and the figure of the human body is rendered in bare lines. The pure elegance of the colours found within these three light-colour paintings evokes a sense of warmth and sentiment.
China plunged into political turmoil at the start of 20th century. Chinese artists who are deeply influenced by Western modern art theories gathered in Shanghai. After Chen's graduation from the Western Painting department at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he took up the responsibility of teaching art in Shanghai in 1929. Between 1931 and 1932 Chen joined the Juelanshe (The Storm Society), along with his artist friends such as Pan Yuliang and Wang Jiyuan. His close proximity to these artists resulted in him being influenced by Parisian and other Western arts movements of the time.
His decision to settle in Shanghai would leave a huge impression on Chen's artwork, for he once confirmed Chinese ink artists Bada Shanren and Ni Zan as his most important influences in the techniques of lines and brushworks. Bada Shanren and Ni Zan, both literati painters of Chinese ink art, poured the landscapes of their minds into their art. Their emphasis on environmental symbolism, and the lack of regard to composition this produced in their art, resulted in unique, unfettered brushwork. Chen made use of this technique in the creation of his own still life oil paintings and watercolour sketches. This season, Christie's proudly presents nine of Chen's pieces from an important private collection, six of which are oil paintings and three watercolour works on paper. One is able to see the way Chen combines Western painting techniques and elements of traditional literati art into his works, and multiple sketches of watercolour nudes he painted on paper throughout 1932.
Shanghai Ferry Pier (Lot 447) was painted around 1932 to 1933, before Chen left Shanghai to return to Taiwan. The wider vision and the circular structure was what Chen frequently used. The familial scene in the foreground is also what frequently appears in his works. His artworks throughout that period of time were heavily focused on landscape structures, as this particular painting does by conveying the sentiment of a dockside parting. Upon his return to Taiwan in 1933, Chen produced countless creations, including Sea of Clouds (Lot 449), painted in 1935. Traces of what Chen learnt from Chinese ink painting and the notion of "subjective observations, objective painting" he learnt from Bada Shanren and Nizan could be found in this particular piece. Bagua Mountain (2) (Lot 448) was painted in early 1940, and Chen's former apprenticeship under Kinochiro Ishikawa is apparent within the work - the S-shaped linear structure, which he had learnt from Ishikawa, is apparent in this painting. One can observe the way the S-line leads the viewer's sight towards the foreground on which a pair of hikers stand, along the spiraling mountain path up to the summit; the travelers climbing up the winding road invites the viewer's attention upward. In Building (Lot 451), Chen makes use of quick blots in his brushwork sketch of the leaves and branches, the sway of the leaves as though a wind is passing through it, giving the trees in the foreground a sense of movement. Chen evokes Fauvist colours in the brick-red of the tower and the various shades of green in the leaves. The landscape of Hongmao Lake (Lot 452) is dominated by the circular structure of a pool in its centre, with bare trees that reach up to the sky in the foreground obscuring the viewer's line of sight. A disproportionally large wanderer is blotted onto the image, emphasizing the silent bliss of them disconnect with the world.
Chen produced a large quantity of lightcolour sketches during his time in Shanghai. Most of his sketches were female nudes, and are the foundations of his technical skills in line art and brushwork. His light-colour artworks were created in 1932, when he was still in Shanghai absorbing theories of Chinese ink painting and Western art. Nude on a Red Carpet (Lot 450) can perhaps be viewed as a cumulative oil art piece of the time he spent studying Eastern and Western artistic techniques, and even be said to be the seminal work of his nude female studies. One can observe Chen's progression from still life to more impressionistic renderings within his light-colour sketches. Seated Nude (Lot 453), Standing Nude (Lot 454), and Lying Nude (Lot 455) were created in 1932, and in the process, Chen deliberately employed iris-coloured stains to emphasis shadows and light and the figure of the body. A close examination of the figure in Lying Nude shows the level of detail that went into the feet, and in Seated Nude, the figure's form is sketched out in simple brushwork, and the figure of the human body is rendered in bare lines. The pure elegance of the colours found within these three light-colour paintings evokes a sense of warmth and sentiment.