李曼峰

新加坡蘇富比，2005年10月9日，拍品編號155
美國私人收藏
香港蘇富比，2013年4月6日，拍品編號349
現藏者購自上述拍賣
印尼私人收藏

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no sign of restoration as viewed. Framed.
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“East of Jieshi mountain, I gaze at the blue sea.

The water dances so gently, the mountain island towers.

Trees here grow thick, a hundred grasses are lush.

The autumn wind soughs, great waves rise up.

The path of the sun and moon, seems to come from within.

The splendid Milky Way, seems to come from inside.

Oh, I am so lucky, to be singing my song!”

- Cao Cao, View of the Blue Sea <<观沧海>> 曹操

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 highly regarded, with symbols of his cultural ancestry including fish and birds featuring prominently. Meanwhile, his landscape paintings were depictions of the rich topographies of place, synthesising his Western and Eastern training.

Waterfall stands out in Lee Man Fong’s oeuvre: 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, “Shan Shui” means “Mountain Water” and it depicts man’s relationship with the natural world as an existential discourse on the fragile nature of human existence. Cao Cao, the famed military general from the Three Kingdoms period, was an early contributor to this genre. Rather than portraying a physical life of the eye, it seeks to portray the life of mind.

Lee Man Fong’s venture into landscape painting was in part a response to the tensions between the Persagi Art Group (Persatuan Ahli-ahli Gambar Indonesia) who strove to paint socially aware works and the Indische-Holland Kunstkring community who harked back to a period of colonial perspectives of Indonesia. He desired a harmony found in nature that society had lost amidst socio-political turmoil. Thus, he drew inspiration from the countryside with its expansive scenes of lush greenery, rice pastures and mountains. Waterfall is based upon a waterfall in California – not only a rare subject matter for Lee Man Fong, but also a rare geographical location. This work reveals a shift in Lee Man Fong’s aesthetics and habitual themes, a turn toward a deeper exploration of his Chinese heritage.

In Chinese landscape painting, waterfalls express the philosophy of yin and yang. Rocks and natural formations were perceived as masculine, while the water was seen as feminine: the downward motion of water 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, with the flowing motion of water representing good fortune. Complementing 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.

Waterfall was created in the latter part of Lee’s life. While at first glance a mere landscape painting, Lee’s engagement with Shan Shui philosophy suggests that the painting may also serve as a pictorial representation of an examined life, with the waterfall an extension of the artist’s psyche. As he grew older, Lee may have reminisced about the fortune that had been bestowed upon him, and his role as a Chinese artist in Indonesia. As the poet Wang Wei once wrote, "At jagged rocks, spring water sobs and groans/ …like profound meditation/Drowning all worldly speculation."