Lee Man Fong

Sotheby's Singapore, October 9, 2005, Lot 155
Private Collection, USA

The work is in good condition overall, crack-free and warp-free. The paint is in stable and good condition. Only upon close observation reveals minute brown specks of media accretion on the background. Examination under ultraviolet light shows no indication of restoration. Framed.
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Lee Man Fong is highly regarded as an influential figure in the emergence of modern art in Indonesia. Originally from China, the artist relocated to Indonesia in 1932, where he found inspiration in the country’s rich culture and local traditions. Lee Man Fong’s paintings of flora and fauna were widely respected, with fish and birds featuring prominently in these works, symbols of his cultural ancestry. Meanwhile his landscape paintings, were depictions of the country’s rich topography, rarely absent of a human figure.

Waterfall stands out in Lee Man Fong’s oeuvre, for unlike his earlier works, it is a clear reference to classical Chinese landscape painting, specifically the “Shan Shui” aesthetics inspired by Taoist teachings. Translated literally it means “Mountain Water”, and it portrayed man’s relationship with the natural world as an existential discourse on the fragile nature of human existence. 

Lee Man Fong’s venture into landscape painting was a response to the tensions between the Persagi (Persatuan Ahli-ahli Gambar Indonesia) and Indische-Holland Kunstkring community. He desired the harmony found in nature, that society had lost amidst the turmoil. These works were depictions of the native countryside, expansive scenes of lush greenery, rice pastures and mountains.

He rarely included water in his landscape paintings. Therefore, the painting Waterfall constitutes a unique work in the artist’s career, for it reveals a shift in Lee Man Fong’s aesthetics, and habitual themes.

In Chinese landscape painting, waterfalls were a common motif, celebrated for their natural beauty, while expressing the philosophy of yin and yang. The rocks were perceived as masculine, and the water as feminine, its downward motion complimenting the upward posture of the mountains.

Waterfalls in Chinese mythology also symbolized wealth and prosperity. Influenced by the feng shui tradition where each element was gifted with meaning, water is perceived to be auspicious, for it is believed that the flowing motion of water represented good fortune being bestowed upon the individual.

Lee Man Fong’s painting demonstrates the feng shui aesthetics revered in classical Chinese landscape paintings. Complimenting the image of the waterfall, are the distant mountains that represent a long life. The foliage on the left celebrates incoming wealth, and the trees on the right protect the individual from harm, ultimately creating a natural harmony in the composition of the piece.

As Waterfall was created in the latter part of his life, and four years before his passing, the painting may serve as a pictorial representation of an examined life, with the waterfall an extension of the artist’s psyche. As he grew older, Lee Man Fong may have reminisced about his lengthy career, and his role as a Chinese artist living in Indonesia. As the poet Wang Wei once wrote, "At jagged rocks, spring water sobs and groans/ …like profound meditation/Drowning all worldly speculation."