Lot 1024
  • 1024

Chu Teh-Chun (Zhu Dequn)

Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 HKD
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Description

  • Chu Teh-Chun
  • Sombre dans l'obscurité (Dark in the darkness)
  • signed in Pinyin and Chinese, titled and dated 1976 on the reverse
  • oil on canvas

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by the father of the present owner

Exhibited

Italy, Naples, Galleria San Carlo, Chu Teh-Chun & Albert Féraud, 20 February - 18 March 1978

Condition

This work is in very good condition. Under UV: there is evidence of several specks of touch-ups in the lower part of the work.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Departing from his linear style with bold and dense brushstrokes from the 1960s, in the 1970s Chu Teh-Chun embarked on a new phase of his artistic career. He travelled frequently and exhibited in various countries in Europe, including on one occasion in Munich, Germany in 1972 where he discovered German Expressionist painting, which subsequently became a great influence on his work. During this period, his paintings grew more spontaneous and expressive, attempting to explore the differences between the painting traditions of East and West.  

In Sombre dans l'obscurité completed in 1975, Chu Teh-Chun uses dark grey as the base, onto which he then skilfully applies varying shades of substantial ink-black colour across the surface, with lines of different thickness and weight that are laid down across the canvas. In traditional Chinese ink painting, the charm of a picture is mainly expressed by the thickness and thinness of the  ink. This practice is described as "ink holds five colours" referring to five types of shades: charred, thick, ash, thin and clear. Chu was raised in a cultivated family of doctors, and he has a deep understanding of the principles of traditional Chinese painting. In his opinion, every stroke in his painting has a meaning. Without the usage of bright colours,  Chu's brushstrokes in Sombre dans l'obscurité are resolute and energetic, demonstrating a lightness and graceful fluidity of oil paint. Yet it also bears fascinating resemblance with paintings by Pierre Soulages, Chu's contemporary known as "the Master of Black".

Despite Chu's reliance on dark colours, he also meticulously depicts a bright patch of light greens and yellows in the centre of the painting to create a stark contrast, drawing in the viewer's attention and reminding us of a mountain peak shimmered in the morning glow of light at dawn. Here, Chu employs Eastern calligraphic techniques and Western oil paint to form a unique, secretive universe. The freely turning and interwoven lines reveal Chu's solid grasp of calligraphic techniques , and seem to symbolize the rugged and powerful features of a mountainous landscape with its varying tones of grey and white creating clashing rhythms, textures and energy. In Sombre dans l'obscurité, the artist successfully renders an abstract portrayal based on his observation of the universe and nature, infusing with it his internal emotions and thoughts, leaving room for the viewer's infinite imagination. Exhibited at Galleria San Carlo in Italy in 1978 after its completion and immediately acquired by the present owner's father, the current lot has been perfectly preserved in Europe for almost forty years, and has now been rediscovered.