Lot  32 Ravenel Spring Auction 2008

Ravenel Spring Auction 2008

Ballerina

George CHANN (Chinese-American, 1913 - 1995)

Oil on canvas

123 x 71 cm

Estimate

TWD 3,200,000-4,200,000

HKD 820,500-1,076,900

USD 110,300-144,800

Sold Price

TWD 3,776,000

HKD 969,199

USD 124,190


Signature

Signed lower right GEO CHANN in English

PROVENANCE:


Old Collection of Michael D. Brown, San Francisco

+ OVERVIEW

In the irst sentence of the preface of his classical work The Story of Art, Gombrich describes his view towards arts and artists: Actually, there is no art but artist only. In the ballet classroom of Degas, the artist created works in which the dancers stand irmly, play, or stare at something like framed. Whenever standing before the image, a viewer may even hear the whisper of dancers or music. However, in "Ballerina" of George Chann, the dancer created by the artist is beautiful and said. What is she looking down at? Up to or down from the stage? Where does her loneliness come from? "Ballerina" is now treasured by US art critic Michael D. Brown. Michael D. Brown and Yang Fangzhi jointly composed the George Chann, Purist in World of Arts. He is an art critic for studying and collecting the works of George Chann. "Ballerina" is an early-stage work of George Chann. In his early years, his works focused on portrait of the medium- and low-level people that are impoverished. Take "Ballerina" for example. The dancer, who is supported to be romantic and deft, shows indistinctness and vastness from her eyes. The entire image is shaded by a dim, yellowish tone, carrying dense humanitarian aspiration. "full of humanitarian color", "full of the bosom bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of humankind", "revealing humanitarian kindness and care"... These are the unilateral descriptions to the painting style of George Chann in this period. Based on this sense and by this image, it is said that, in "Ballerina" , we are aware of art as well as artist.

Related Info

The 20th & 21st Century Chinese Art Japanese & Korean Contemporary Art

Ravenel Spring Auction 2008

Sunday, June 1, 2008, 12:00am