Lee Man Fong (Guangzhou 1913 - Kolibah 1988) "The Western...

Lee Man Fong (Guangzhou 1913 - Kolibah 1988) "The Western and Eastern pagodas of Quanzhou" Signed, titled and dated painted on the 4th of November of the year 1956 in Chinese and stamped with artist's seal upper left Stamped with artist's seal lower left Oil on board, 60 x 60.9 cm Provenance: Private collection, the Netherlands (acquired in Indonesia in 1958) Note: Lee Man Fong can be regarded as one of the most famous Indonesian painters, but is also often compared with important Chinese painters like Qi Baishi (1864-1957) and Fu Baoshi (1904-1965). When his father, a Chinese revolutionary fighter, passed away when the young artist was only 17, he had to take care of his seven younger siblings. Man Fong started painting for a living, as well as contemplating on the negative effects of war on the world, resulting in his elaborate depictions of innocent animals and white doves. In 1932 he moved from Singapore to Jakarta and was artistically stimulated by the tension between nationalist artist’s groups as PERSAGI (Persatuan Ahli-ahli Gambar Indonesia), and the Dutch Kunstkring artists - a well-known rivalry between Indonesian artists based in the revolutionary artistic city of Jogjakarta and the students of the art academy in the Dutch colonial city of Bandung. After being imprisoned briefly by the Japanese, Man Fong continued on his artistic mission to conquer the world and had several successful exhibitions in Europe, which did not remain unnoticed to President Soekarno. Often visited by, and in favour of, the art collecting president and his presidential painter Dullah (1919-1996), Man Fong was encouraged to establish the Yin Hua group, the Chinese artists in Indonesia association, in 1955. With the exhibits highly successful, Man Fong was invited to exhibit in China in 1956 and travelled and painted the southern part of the country subsequently. The painting presented is one of the important works he created there, and is amongst others, the reason Lee Man Fong became the most important presidential painter himself.

Estimate:£8,472.23

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