Lot 101: Li Tiefu , 1869 - 1952 Silver Pomfret and White Radish oil on canvas

signed T.F. Lee in the lower right, framed Executed in 1948 oil on canvas

measurements note 63.8 by 76.4cm.; 25 by 30in.

Li Tie Fu & Hu Sanyu collection exhibition,1996
Taipei International Art Fair, 1997

CANS Art Magazine, 1997
Artist Magazine Issue 289, Advert, 1999

Zhao Yu's daugher Zhao Jin zhi
Acquired direclty from the above collector in 1997

As one of the pioneer artists who went to study abroad, Li Tiefu started his career in the United States under two masters of American art--William Marritt Chase and John Singer Sargent. Influences of these two artists are apparent in his works. Silver Pomfret and White Radish from this auction is an example. Subdued color and vivacious brushwork are main features of Chase's work. Li Tiefu, however, was not just simply imitating his teachers' styles; he brought his own innovations to the fore, such as a low-angle perspective that served to emphasize flatness and naiveté. This work also reflects his simple and humble life after he returned to China. Li Tiefu's biography is legendary--he went abroad to study oil painting when he was young, then became a supporter of Sun Yet-sen's revolution. In 1932, when Li Tiefu was 53 years old, he briefly lived in Hong Kong and eventually moved back to mainland China. Li Tiefu died in 1952 in Guangzhou.