Parisian Nostalgia, a Collection of Sanyu in TP History Museum

As one of Chinese painters who traveled to France to study art in the early years of the ROC, Sanyu wasn’t lucky enough to become famous like Xu Beihong, Pan Yuliang. He painted a lot, but his few solo exhibitions failed to gain attention in the 20th century. After living in Paris for long time, he wouldn’t return to China, spending the last years of his life in hardship and loneliness. It was until the 1990’s that his works began to gain popularity from Taiwan to the world. Since 1991, tens of his paintings were sold for over 10 million dollars in international auction houses. In 2011, Sanyu’s “ Five Nude ” were sold for 128 million HK dollars at the Ravenel (HK) Modern & Contemporary Art Auction, setting a new record for oil paintings by Chinese painters at that time. Well, just another example of the forgotten artists who won the fame after death.

Born in a rich family in Sichuan, China, Sanyu learned calligraphy & traditional Chinese landscape ink painting during his childhood, which apparently built a great foundation for his future artistic style. In 1921, he went to Paris to study art, devoting himself into modern art instead of accepting formal academic education of fine art. He chose to learn painting in the free atmosphere of Académie de la Grande Chaumière, hanging around in the Café in Mortparnasse to meet various artists of the Ecole de Paris. Gradually, he developed his own style after practicing the same themes by integrating the metaphorical, smooth calligraphy of Chinese ink-wash with the simplistic, vivid style of the Western fauvist style: simple construction, exaggerated lines & designs, bold use of colours. Through a few brush stokes, he painted all still life, landscapes, nude women in the concise but powerful outline to display his unique expressionist style. However, his eccentric & hedonistic personality, his “lazy” act to submit only one painting for Salons’ display every year or few years, his simplicity Chinese style but in the thick layer of paint, were hardly understood by people of his time, as well as most art critics. During his late years, Sanyu almost lost the interest in painting, feeling lonely and frustrated by the hard life. He died in Paris of a gas poisoning accident in 1966, slowly forgotten by the world.

The collection of Sanyu’s work in Taipei National Museum of History actually came from the artist himself. In 1964, Sanyu was invited to teach in Taipei Normal University and hold a solo exhibition in Taipei National Museum of History. After sending 42 paintings from France to Taiwan, he unexpectedly found out that he was unable to travel to Taiwan with his PRC passport under the sensitive political circumstances.What a bad surprise! The Museum kept his works carefully after his death, following several restoration plans for maintenance. This summer when Mr.T saw the news of Sanyu’s Art Exhibition, he was fascinated by the artist’s special style and dragged me to the History Museum in such a HOT summer day! …Anyway, the ticket was quite cheap ( 30NTD, about 1USD), photo-shooting allowed (without flashlight, no selfie-bar ). Moreover, there’s a huge pond of pretty lotus flowers to enjoy behind the Museum. So, why not…

001

002

003

004

005

006

007 Four Nude（add one more，128 million HK dollars perhaps? ）

008

009

010

011 Lotus pond behind the Museum

012

013

014 The sleeping beauty

317 Readers like the post（此文不错，朕喜欢）

the Next：My Watercolour Practice in Hot Summer (Photos)

the Previous：A Wonderful Couscous Lunch in Taipei Wine Bar (Photos)