Sanyu (Chang Yu)

signed in pinyin and Chinese.

Private Asian Collection

This work is in good condition. There is evidence of light foxing across the surface of the work. There is evidence of a small tear along the upper right edge of the work and a minor accretion and an abrasion at the lower left corner. There are two creases, one 8 cm in length along the left edge, 15 cm from the bottom edge, the other one 6 cm in length along the left edge, 15 cm from the top edge of the painting.
"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."

Born in 1901 to a prominent Sichuan family of textile merchants, Sanyu enjoyed a privileged upbringing. He studied ink painting from age 13 onwards and calligraphy with the renowned calligraphy Zhao Xi, demonstrating extraordinary gift. In 1921, he went to France as a "work-study" student under Cai Yuanpei's programme. The young Sanyu was drawn instead to liberal and urbane Montmarte, where he also chose to reside. Sanyu studied at La Grande Chaumiere, an unofficial art school where artists could sketch from nude models. Radically different from culturally conservative China, the Monmarte milieu proved tremendously stimulating and inspiring to Sanyu, who freely explored a variety of painting subjects, including nudes, still lives, and animals. Combining the brushwork, inkwork, and xieyi (freehand or literally "sketch-conceptualist") aesthetics of East Asian ink painting with the iconoclastic boldness of Western modernism, Sanyu developed his own highly-refined minimalist style. As his good friend Johan Franco, a French composer, once said that "Sanyu knows how to use the most concise way to draw out the essence and humour of things. His paintings are imbued with the special characteristics of his own ethnicity."