Lot 31: WANG YIDONG (B.1955) Reading Letter 1995 signed and dated 1995 oil on c

WANG YIDONG (B.1955) Reading Letter 1995 signed and dated 1995 oil on canvas 105 x 105 cm (41 5/16 x 41 5/16 in)

Provenance Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong Acquired directly from the above by the present owner Literature Schoeni Art Gallery Ltd., Wang Yi Dong, Hong Kong 1999, p.108-109, illustrated in colour 1995 : Wang yidong 1995 «», , ,1999 ,108-109 , 92 Dynamic spatial perspectives, a balanced orchestration of light and color, with an atmospheric depiction, propel an ordinary rural domestic scene to a sense of theatricality and vivid drama. Rendered with exquisite details, Reading Letter depicts a young Chinese girl in profile, standing in front of an unseen window at home as she reads a letter. A soft ray of sunlight from the window on the left shines on her, highlighting the ochre satin ribbons tied around her two braids and her peony patterned red blouse, which contrasts against a dimly lit room. Born in the Yimeng Mountain area of Shandong, China, in 1955, Wang Yidong studied at the Shandong Art School before graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. As a visiting scholar at the University of Oklahoma in 1987, Wang received academic training in Western art history and contemporary art and was fascinated by masterpieces from the Renaissance to 19th century Realism. The present work exudes the theatrical dynamism of Caravaggio’s paintings and draws parallels to Dutch master Johannes Vermeer’s depictions of Dutch domestic interiors, particularly his painting Reading a Letter at an Open Window, which also depicts a young woman standing in profile in front of a window as she reads a letter. Both Wang and Vermeer drew inspiration from Renaissance painters, employing chiaroscuro to communicate greater dynamics of tone. While Vermeer crafts a scene that is rigid and formal, Wang adopts a subtler method by reabsorbing chiaroscuro in his own language, employing delicate brushstrokes to achieve a nuanced brilliance. Vermeer’s portraits of women reading letters are often associated with the theme of love and marriage, where he captures their immediate reaction upon receiving these letters. While Vermeer allows us a glimpse of the woman’s reaction through her reflection on the windowpanes in Reading a Letter at an Open Window, Wang illustrates the young girl’s emotions through orchestrating an implicit atmosphere of anticipation and excitement in the present work. With exceptional precision, Wang paints an opened envelope, along with an unlit kerosene lamp and two casually placed apples on a white table in front of the young girl to suggest a sense of immediacy, that she might have just received fresh mail in the morning. From the brief writing on the envelope, we learn that her address is in Cangshan in Shandong, while the letter was sent from Gansu province. Hanging on the wall behind her are photographs of herself, and with a young man, who might be an absent loved and the sender of the letter. She seems solemn and focused, as if she is about to react to the contents of the letter. The sense of anticipation is further illustrated through a stage-like presence of the window curtains in the background, enlivened through a naturalistic and sensual use of dark and light, all of which directs our attention to the girl and the love letter she holds firmly between her hands. Coming from Schoeni Art Gallery, one of the first galleries in Hong Kong to nurture and foster the growth of Chinese contemporary art, founded by Swiss art dealer Manfred Schoeni, the present work has been in a private European collection for almost 20 years since its exhibition at the gallery in 1999. Reappearing on the market, Reading Letter is archetypal of Wang’s technical mastery in depicting the beauty of rural life in China. Today, he is undoubtedly recognized as a leading figure of Chinese Realist painting. , «»,, , , , ,, (University of Oklahoma), , (Caravaggio), ·(Johannes Vermeer), «»(Reading a Letter at an Open Window) ,, , , ,, ,, «», , , , ,, , ,, , , «», (Manfred Schoeni)(Schoeni Art Gallery) , , 94 Jan (Johannes) Vermeer, Girl at a Window Reading a Letter, circa 1657-1659. ,«»,1657-1659, Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany/ © Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden / Bridgeman Images MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART