Chang Yu (Sanyu)

signed in Chinese and English (lower right)
executed circa 1955

Gift from the artist in 1962
Thence as a gift to the present owner

In a wooden frame, there are faint areas of rubbing around the extreme edges of the masonite board due to the age of the work, however they are very minor. Otherwise the work is in very good overall condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Monsieur Jacques Oettinger and Madame Denyse Oettinger (parents of the present owner) met Sanyu in Switzerland in 1945 after the end of World War II. Although they did not consider themselves to be art collectors, they enjoyed meeting the artist and maintained a very close friendship.

The couple frequently visited Sanyu from 1962 to 1965, when they resided on Boulevard Saint Michel, only a few blocks away from Sanyu's studio near Montparnasse Station. During one of their visits in 1962, the couple noticed a new painting on the wall and expressed how much they liked it. At first the artist insisted that the couple accept the work as a gift, but the couple declined. Shortly after their visit, this Potted Peonies arrived at the home of the Oettingers, and it has remained in the family until today.

In the 1930s, Sanyu was amongst one of the outstanding groups of artists known as the Paris school in France, and his remarkably unique style and philosophy enabled him to stand out as an Asian artist in Europe.

Sanyu's flower and landscape paintings consistently abide by a minimalist approach, so do his sketches. As for his oil paintings, a heavier dose of Western aesthetics gleaned from Expressionism and styles of the Paris School can be found. Sanyu often engaged in heated discussions with his colleagues and contemporaries about his endeavors to strip his compositions of extraneous details, so that a lightest, most elegant assembly of pure lines and colours may emerge.

Painted on masonite, this lovely work by Sanyu is elegant and pleasant, and completely fresh to the market since it has been kept in private hands since its creation. Sanyu demonstrates a sense of spontaneity in this Potted Peonies, while preserving the essence of Chinese paintings. It is the strong appeal of such elements that has brought Sanyu's work the great acceptance and popularity it enjoys in both the East and the West.