Lin Fengmian (1900-1991)
Lin Fengmian was born on 22nd November 1900 as Shaoqin and given the name of Fengming when he started school aged five. He was separated from his mother at an early age and raised by his stonemason father who taught him to paint. Lin showed early prowess and was encouraged in his art, travelling to France in 1919 to study in Dijon and Paris where he became particularly interested in the Fauvist movement. The loss of his grandfather and father in 1922 hit him badly, and was tragically followed by the death of his new wife, Elise von Roda, and their newborn son in 1924.
Still in France, while his paintings continued to be exhibited and admired, commercial success had yet to follow and in 1925 Lin could be found living in poverty in the Dijon countryside with his second wife, the sculptress Alice Vattant. They returned to China the following year and Lin was appointed Director and Professor of the National Beijing Fine Art School. During his time at the school, he regularly courted controversy – appointing Qi Baishi despite objections and introducing life classes that prompted complaints. Further controversy followed when, in 1927, he started the Beijing Art Assembly to bring together Chinese and Western artists and music. Accusations followed and the Administration was so shocked by the Assembly that Lin narrowly escaped execution, by fleeing to South China and leaving his wife and daughter in Beijing.
Many of Lin’s early paintings were destroyed when the War against the Japanese started in 1937, and during the years of the Second World War that followed. Although impoverished and separated from his wife and child, this represented a prolific time during Lin’s career. When the Cultural Revolution was launched in 1966, Lin pulped many of his paintings still in his possession by soaking them in the bath and destroying them but this was not enough to protect him from the authorities. More of Lin’s works were destroyed by him in 1973 as they had titles that sounded like Chairman Mao’s name.
Reunited with his family in Brazil in 1978, Lin lived a more peaceful life in old age, continuing to hold exhibitions in the Far East and working up to the day of his death in Hong Kong in 1991.
Invoice in respect of lots 199 & 200
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