‘A YOUNG BEAUTY LOOKING INTO A MIRROR’ BY LIN FENGMIAN (1900-1991)

拍品描述

‘A YOUNG BEAUTY LOOKING INTO A MIRROR’ BY LIN FENGMIAN (1900-1991) China, before 1975. Ink and color on paper. The youthful woman, dressed in ample, flowing robes, gazes at her delicate features in a mirror held in one hand, while with the other she adjusts her hair beside a vase filled with flowers. The luminous smoothness of her exposed skin, the softness of her blouse, and the pristine porcelain surface of the vase stand in subtle contrast to the dark tones that pervade the introspective scene. Inscriptions: to the lower left corner, signed with the artist’s seal ‘Lin Fengmian yin’. Dimensions: Image size 66.8 x 66.7 cm, Size incl. frame 71.1 x 71.2 cm Set inside a wooden frame. (2) Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) is considered a pioneer of modern Chinese painting, mostly for blending Western and Chinese styles, as he was one of the earliest Chinese painters to study in Europe. He was also an important innovator in the area of Chinese art education and one of The Four Great Academy Presidents, a group of artists who were revered in the early Republic due to their effective stewardship of the art academies they presided over. According to the Artprice.com database, Lin Fengmian ranked 75th worldwide by public auction turnover in 2025, with annual auction sales of approximately EUR 25.1 million. Lin Fengmian thus remains one of the world's most sought-after artists. The vast majority of auction transactions (64%) took place in Hong Kong, while works sold below 50,000 euro accounted for 33% of the market. The motif of a beautiful woman looking into a hand mirror is a recurring and highly characteristic subject in the work of Lin Fengmian, reflecting both his distinctive artistic language and his introspective sensibility. Throughout his career, Lin repeatedly returned to images of solitary women, through which he explored themes of introspection, identity, and quiet melancholy. In these compositions, the female figure is typically situated within a carefully balanced, often square format. Simplified yet expressive lines combine the fluidity of traditional Chinese ink painting with the formal clarity of Western modernism. The elongated figures and stylized facial features at times recall the work of Amedeo Modigliani, while Lin’s treatment of color and composition reveals his sustained engagement with European modernist movements, particularly Fauvism. The hand mirror carries a significance that extends beyond its conventional association with vanity. It becomes an emblem of inward reflection, suggesting self-awareness, and emotional distance. Often depicted alone and absorbed in thought, the female figure conveys a profound sense of stillness and solitude. This restrained melancholy is a defining quality of Lin Fengmian’s work and may also be understood in relation to the periods of hardship and isolation that marked his life. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Aguttes, Paris,11 March 2020, lot 2 Price: EUR 250,000 or approx. EUR 295,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of painting, and composition. Note the similar size (69.8 x 66 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 2 June 2015, lot 1378 Price: HKD 4,240,000 or approx. EUR 515,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, painting style, notably the treatment of the drapery, the vase and the facial features, and the artist’s seal. Note the similar size (67 x 67.5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 11 October 2021, lot 3140 Price: HKD 3,528,000 or approx. EUR 427,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, painting style, notably the treatment of the drapery and the facial features, and the artist’s seal. Note the similar size (69.8 x 66 cm).

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