Chen Danqing

Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist

This work is in generally very good condition overall. There are no apparent condition problems with this work. It is framed and was not examined out of frame nor under UV light.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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A brilliant realist oil painter who has played a widely influential role in the development of contemporary Chinese painting, Chen Danqing first came to prominence with his portraits of Tibetan peasants in the 1970's and '80's.  One among a group of Shanghainese painters who worked together during those early years, Chen Danqing, like his colleagues, traveled abroad extensively during the 1980's and '90's.  Though Untitled (Lot 18) dates from 2005, the work is in some sense a memorial to decades past and to the earliest years of his practice. 

Depicting a full-bodied nude wearing stilettos leaning against a Qing dynasty couch, her back to the audience and brassiere laid aside, Untitled is a sensual, overtly sexy study of the female form.  The occasion upon which Chen created the work was a 2005 reunion in Shanghai of the group of realist painters who had struggled together several decades before.  Planned for some time, the reunion finally took place soon after the untimely death of former colleague Chen Yifei (Lots 13-17 and 101-103), whose absence added poignancy to the colleagues' meeting after so many years.

Combining the classical and historical with an overtly erotic sensibility, Chen's painting evidences the painterly technique for which he has been internationally recognized.  The legacy of Western painting looms large, with an unabashed interest in the effects of light upon naked flesh.  Part of a pivotal generation that could still see traditional figurative oil painting as a medium of genuine import, Chen Danqing here proves his continuing allegiance to this tradition with a work that effortlessly straddles the passage of time, traditions and cultures.