Chen Yifei

signed in pinyin and Chinese (lower right); two Marlborough Gallery labels affixed to the stretcher (reverse)
Executed in 2003

Marlborough Gallery, Monaco
Private European Collection

Monaco, Marlborough Monaco, Chen Yifei - Oeuvres récentes, 26th June - 29th August, 2003

Chen Yifei - Oeuvres récentes, Monaco, 2003, Marlborough Monaco, illustration 16, p. 25

This work is in excellent condition. There are two hairline cracks which have occurred during the process of the drying out of the paint at the upper left (approximately 15 cm.) and at the lower center (approximately 2 cm.) . At the right edge, there are tiny areas of missing paint which is a normal part of the drying process where the paint has not fully adhered to the canvas. The colour of this work is less purple than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

In the 1980s, Chen Yifei became known for his paintings of beautiful women. In the 1990s, he developed this subject matter further with his Old Dreams of Shanghai series in which he depicted the history and modernization of the city of Shanghai and of the beautiful women there. Like the 17th Century Dutch artist Jan Vermeer's famous depiction of his household servant in Girl with the Pearl Earring, where he instructed her to wear a pearl earring to pose for his painting, Chen invited his models to wear high-collared, close fitting qipao to sit for his paintings.  His subjects are dressed as fashionable women from pre-war Shanghai or in the silk robes that were popular in the early Qing Dynasty. Through Chen's meticulous arrangement of jewelry and furniture and placement of each figure in a specific posture, the women transform into the ethereal figures seen in his paintings and demonstrate Chen's nostalgia for Shanghai's bygone times. Interestingly, although the artist paints in a Realist style, he successfully integrates his own imagination into his works, lending them a dreamlike quality. The work in this sale, Amitié (Lot 689), was completed in the golden age of the artist's career.

In this work, Chen uses his classic sfumato (blurring) technique; through the changes in tone and light, his use of soft, detailed brushstrokes and purplish hues, the two central figures emerge from the painting. The focal point of the painting, determined by Chen's use of light and compositional arrangement, leads the viewer's gaze to rest on the upper half of the canvas in which the face of two beautiful women are placed, both wearing high-collared, close-fitting qipao. The figure in front leans forward with her head bowed, allowing the woman behind her to tie a yellow pearl flower into her hair.  Through the positioning of their arms and legs, Chen has expressed the intimacy and harmony of the women's feelings, deliberately blurring the outline of both of the lower halves of their bodies and successfully creating the illusion of space in the composition. From this painting, the viewer is left to guess the nature of the women's relationship; mother and daughter, sisters, friends or lovers? The artist has left boundless room for imagination, leaving us with his perception of romanticized beauty. As Chen once said himself:

"An artist's fundamental responsibility is to discover and convey beauty.  Painting is just a medium through which to tell people that the world holds more beauty than has yet been discovered."

In this way, this work is particularly moving and thought-provoking.