Lin Fengmian

signed in Chinese (lower right); signed in Chinese and Lin Fon Ming with the artist's seal (reverse)
executed circa 1960s

Acquired directly from the artist in the 1960s
Thence by descent  to the present owner

Lightly restored, re-varnished, and in a wooden frame, there are very light, very faint cracks in small portions of the painting due to the age of the work, however they are stable. Otherwise, the work is in excellent overall condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Monsieur Monrad Helle is a former Consul General at the Norwegian Consulate in Shanghai from 1963 to 1966. Through friends, Monsieur and Madame Helle befriended artist Lin Fengmian and visited him frequently, but discreetly in his humble two-bedroom apartment. They had the chance to witness Lin paint and he offered to let them buy some of the paintings, which they did. It was all kept very discreet due to the political circumstances and the contact was severed shortly before the couple returned to Europe at the end of 1966. Monsieur and Madame Helle acquired in total fifteen paintings directly from the artist. The exquisite collection has been kept in the family for nearly half a century and will be offered to the market for the first time since its creation.

Elegant in its composition and stunning in its use of brilliant colors, these paintings are testaments to Lin's masterful integration of traditional Chinese tradition and Western elements and mediums. Influenced by the early 20th Century avant-garde movement, Lin employs Cubism, a radical and innovative technique pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, and blends it with the artful imagery of shadow puppetry and paper cutting, common to traditional Chinese folk art.

For Lin Fengmian, Chinese opera was more than entertainment; it gave inspiration to a whole new platform on which he can explore new techniques of composition, arrangement, and transformation. Lin's work reflects the flowing, continuous motion of Chinese opera by juxtaposing various time frames on a single canvas, and in contrast to concepts about depiction of three-dimensional space on a flat canvas, Lin deliberately inserts into his composition a series of flat images that represent the progression of scenes of the opera.

STEALING THE ROYAL HORSE
Dou Erdun heard that Liang Jiugong was planning to march along the border with the Royal Horse of the Qing Emperor, therefore he discreetly sneaked into the camp of Liang, stole the royal horse and left behind the name of Huang Santai.