Chen Yifei

signed in Chinese and dated 1972, executed in 1971-1972

London, Marlborough Fine Art
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2002

Beijing, National Art Museum of China, National Art Exhibition of China, 1972
Shanghai, Shanghai Art Museum, Chen Yifei's Art, 10 April – 9 May 2010, pp. 29 - 30

This work is in good condition. There is evidence of light wear along the edges of the painting and very thin craquelure and minor paint losses scattered across the surface of the painting. There is slight undulation along the top and left edges. The painting consists of three canvases, inherent to the artist’s working method. Under UV: there is evidence of scattered small spots of retouching and consolidation, predominantly in two areas: one 25 cm in length along the right edge 45 cm from the bottom, and the other approximately 30 cm from the left edge and 100 cm from the bottom.
"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."

An Endearing Journey
GUY & MYRIAM ULLENS DE SCHOOTEN

Baron and Baroness Guy and Myriam Ullens de Schooten are passionate about the development of contemporary art in China, and have been pioneering supporters of young emerging artists for the last 25 years. The art collection assembled by the couple is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of its kind, spanning a range of periods, schools and movements as well as media. It encapsulates the evolution of creative ideologies and artistic dialogues in modern and contemporary Chinese art from 1970s until today. The Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation was established in Switzerland in 2002, sponsoring exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art in Europe and China and loaning works of art from their collection to museums worldwide.

Originally from Belgium, the Ullens first began their journey in Chinese art collection in the 1970s with the acquiring of Ai Xuan’s Tibetan Girl. Later in the 1980s, while their collection mainly focused on classical Chinese paintings, they also started to take note of the uncharted yet captivating world of contemporary Chinese art. The collection has since supported seminal works by artists including Liu Xiaodong, Fang Lijun, Yu Youhan, and Zhang Xiaogang, who have all later taken on major roles in forming the facets of contemporary Chinese art today. The Ullens’ continual devotion to showcasing works by emerging Chinese artists in Europe through exhibitions such as Paris-Pekin (2002) at the Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris, and The Monk and the Demon (2004) at Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon, is unparalleled in introducing and establishing the image of contemporary Chinese art on the international front. Since then, the collection has expanded and diversified, and it now consists of nearly 1,000 works of art, not only from China, but also from many other regions around the world, with a special focus on emerging contemporary artists from China, Asia, the United States and the Middle East.

The Ullens also continue their unwavering commitment to the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), a non-profit art center which they founded in 2007 in the heart of Beijing’s 798 Art District, providing a vital exhibition platform for Chinese artists. Since its inception five years ago, UCCA has organised more than 60 exhibitions and hosted over 1,000 educational and cultural public programmes, and welcomed over three million visitors. Some of the most groundbreaking exhibitions include “’85 New Wave: The Birth of Chinese Contemporary Art” from 2007, “OUR FUTURE: The Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation Collection” from 2008, and the recent large-scale exhibition “On|Off: China’s Young Artists in Concept and Practice” focusing on works by new generation of artists born after 1975, attesting to their philosophy of discovering endless new visions within art. Throughout the 25 years, Baron and Baroness Guy and Myriam Ullens de Schooten have supported the artistic growth of many emerging Chinese artists, and, with The Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation and UCCA, served as leading proponents in advocating the development of contemporary art, persistently sailing through national boundaries, and more importantly, uncovering exceptional gems that would shape the course of art for tomorrow.

Red Flag 1 - Chen Yifei’s Seminal Masterpiece from the 1970s
Avant-garde and passionate to the core

Sotheby’s is proud to be entrusted by Baron and Baroness Guy and Myriam Ullens de Schooten, renowned collectors and philanthropists, to present Chen Yifei’s seminal masterpiece Red Flag 1 from the 1970s in the autumn sale. The art collection assembled by the couple is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of its kind. It encapsulates the evolution of creative ideologies and artistic dialogues in modern and contemporary Chinese art from the 1970s until today. The collection now consists of nearly 1,000 works of art. Red Flag 1, the notable and important highlight of this sale, is a classic and representative painting by Chinese Romantic Realism master Chen Yifei.

From 1970 to 1979, Chen Yifei was actively producing politically-themed epic masterpieces, such as the 1971 Pathbreaker, a collaboration with Wei Jingshan (the work currently resides at the National Art Museum of China), Red Flag, Eulogy of the Yellow River in 1972 (sold at RMB 40,320,000 at auction), as well as Seizing of the Presidential Palace, currently in the collection of the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution. These benchmark pieces serve as rare and important representatives of that era. Currently there are less than 10 of such works in existence, most of which are on loan to national museums or owned by private collectors, and seldom available for auction. Comprised of Red Flag 1 and Red Flag 2, Red Flag is a perfect manifestation of Chen’s artistic achievement in his life.

The succession of culture from one generation to another, in a tumultuous time of vast transformations

Chen Yifei was only 25 when he painted this piece. Already graduated from the Shanghai College of Art, Chen was invited to join the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Studio and became in charge of the oil painting section. The Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Studio (now the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute) was a professional unit under the cultural bureau and was very highly regarded within Chinese art circles. Only the most talented artists would have the privilege to join. Chen Yifei was already an influential personality at the Institute back then.

Before creating Red Flag 1 in 1971-1972, Chen Yifei collaborated with Wei Jingshan earlier in the year on Pathbreaker, a large-format oil painting (450 cm wide). It portrays a group of construction workers battling against heavy rain and strong winds, with sections of heavy steel rods on their back. The work was selected for the Chinese National Art Exhibition as soon as it was completed. Chen’s national reputation was thus established and his exceptional artistic talent widely acknowledged. Red Flag is in fact two unique large-format companion paintings. The left work is Red Flag 1 (currently offered in this auction), which depicts a troop of People’s Liberation Army with the red flag in hand and poised to charge towards the enemy’s line. The right work Red Flag 2 portrays a group of young students in school uniforms swearing their oath of allegiance to the party in front of the Monument to the People’s Heroes. Red Flag 2 is now held by the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute Art Museum. The two contrasting images symbolise the succession of China’s revolutionary spirit. Red Flag 1 portrays a previous generation of revolutionary heroes who fought valiantly for the cause to liberate China. Red Flag 2 is the new generation of revolutionary young students who pay tribute to the martyrs and vow to succeed such spirit and dedicate themselves to the great cause.

Heroism and the influence of Soviet oil painting style

The influence of Soviet Socialist Realism is featured prominently in Red Flag 1. This reflects the spirit of the whole era, in which the works by former-Soviet artists had indelible influences on China’s art history. Heavily political and socially influential, Soviet oil paintings placed an emphasis on a realistic style of expression. At the time, art professors and teachers in China were all educated under the Soviet’s Revolutionary Realism movement, so naturally they used the pedagogy of Soviet Realism when they later became educators themselves, and nurtured a generation of new artists who were highly accomplished in painting techniques.

It was not Chen Yifei alone, but the entire art circle in China that came under this influence. Among Soviet artists, Chen Yifei held in especially high regard Geli M. Korzhev, who was hailed as a Soviet People’s Artist. Chen was inspired by Korzhev’s famous painting Homer, Raising the Banner (see image on page 185), The International, which is a triptych. As a result, Chen chose a special format for Red Flag incorporating his personal interpretation and judgment to retain certain elements whilst removing others. In Red Flag 1, the viewer may notice that in addition to depicting the characters and describing the overall atmosphere of a battlefield, a beam of light radiates from the central characters, in order to heighten the sense of drama. This technique dates back to classical masters’ chiaroscuro treatments of lighting on their canvas, showing his admiration towards the warrior’s heroic and selfless martyrdom.

Courageous adventures at the crest of the wave

During the Cultural Revolution, artists took on political themes with a “model” approach, and their work must meet the requirements of “Gao Da Quan” (Tall, Big and Complete) as well as “Hong Guang Liang” (Red, Bright and Shiny). Even revolutionary subjects were no exception, and soldiers in the People's Liberation Army were always portrayed as handsome and fresh-faced, like a young scholar. Chen Yifei refused to follow such fashion, and asserted his own point of view in a way that was almost revolutionary.

In Red Flag 1, the viewer may notice how the artist has given an accurate portrayal of the atmosphere in a battlefield. At the front, a soldier holds a rifle in his right hand and a flag pole in his left, leading a troop of soldiers in preparation of a surprise assault. The person on the left has a bag of explosives in hand. The soldiers’ faces are begrimed as a result of their prolonged exposure to flames and smoke, and their clothes are covered with dust. In the background, a fire burns in the trenches, capturing all the atmosphere of a realistic battle scene. This may not seem extraordinary today, but at the time, such undertaking was truly daring and risky. Chen Yifei broke free from the rigid restrictions during that period, and instead of portraying victorious celebrations and joyful optimistic, he placed an emphasis on a realistic depiction of the cruelty and solemn tragedy of heroism and war. Such an avant-garde expression of war was unconventional, and this painting was for a while criticised by the media as “promoting the terror of wars” when it was exhibited to the public, and controversies ensued.

Red Flag 1 as a critical milestone

Chen Yifei took a solemn approach in his painting, and embedded behind the realistic representation of the subject was his own interpretation of history and reality. These paintings expressed the artist’s deepest emotions while attempting to push the boundaries of this genre within the constraints of his time. In retrospect, his courage was extraordinary and his artistic spirit truly exceptional.

Although Red Flag was severely criticised, it allowed the public to see his original interpretation and spirit when approaching subjects related to the military. As a result, a greatly influential and prestigious painter, He Kongde, who was serving at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, strongly recommended Chen Yifei to create Seizing of the Presidential Palace, a highly successful work which propelled Chen’s creativity and fame to the highest peak of his art career. Consequently, we could argue that without the influence of Red Flag, there would have been no opportunity for Chen to create other pieces on military subjects. In this sense, Red Flag is a landmark of critical importance in Chen Yifei’s artistic career, a continuation of his previous achievements whilst setting the stage for his later success.

When Chen Yifei moved outside of China in the 1980s, he selected a few of his most important pieces to bring with him: Red Flag 1, Eulogy of the Yellow River and Thinking of History from My Space. These were among his most treasured possessions. When Chen returned to Shanghai in the 1990s, Red Flag 1 remained in the artist’s own collection. A photograph of Chen in front of Red Flag 1 (see image on page 184) taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing, served as a precious record of Chen and a work that carried profound meaning for the artist.

Note
This essay is extracted from an interview with Chen Yifei’s brother Chen Yiming, a noted Chinese Realist painter.