Fan Tchunpi

Signed Fan Tchunpi and signed in Chinese (lower left);  titled in Chinese and dated 1942 (reverse)
Executed in 1942

Private American Collection

In satisfactory condition. There is a scatch (10 cm) on upper right.
"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."

Fan Tchunpi was born in 1898 into a prominent family in Fujian.  Only three years younger than the artist Pan Yuliang, but from a considerably more comfortable background, in 1903, Fan Tchunpi went to study in Paris.  At the age of 22, she was the first Chinese female student to be admitted to the École Supérieure Des Beaux-Arts in Paris.  Fan Tchunpi's artistic talent was quickly recognized by the outside world; in 1924 Girl Playing the Flute was exhibited at the Paris Fine Arts Exhibition.  Further, in 1984, the Musée Cernuschi in Paris held a retrospective exhibition of sixty years of the artist's work.  Fan Tchunpi represents one of China's modern female artists; the use of line and colour in her work reveal the reserved elegance of her Eastern background whilst her brushwork often hints at her somewhat aloof attitude to her surroundings and exudes feelings of quiet and contentment.  The works Lotus Flowers in a Vase and Fruit and Blanket are the best representatives of this.