Lot 726

726

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From the Collection of Singapore Bai Hong Lou Master Tan Keng Cheow (Lots 723-732)

HUANG BINHONG (1864-1955)

Blue Landscape

Details

HUANG BINHONG (1864-1955)
Blue Landscape
Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
122 x 48.7 cm. (48 x 19 1⁄8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with four seals of the artist
Dated renchen year (1952)

NOTE:
Huang Binhong’s Blue Landscape was featured as the frontispiece in Michael Sullivan’s Chinese Art in the 20th Century (1959). To commemorate the occasion, the publisher produced extra copies of the illustrated page as a keepsake for Tan Keng Cheow.
Tan inscribed on one of these sheets, next to the painting:

“To the right is Huang Binhong’s landscape hanging scroll from my collection, painted when Huang was 89 years old. Dr. Michael Sullivan, Head of the Department of Art at the University of Malaya, deeply appreciated the painting and selected it for illustration in his recently published book, Chinese Art in the 20th Century (written in English and published this summer in England). I am honoured to own such an important work, featured in such a significant publication.”

Tan Keng Cheow in Singapore, Chung Yeung Festival of 1959

Literature

Exhibition of Huang Binhong’s Works, Singapore Chinese Fine Art Society & Nanyang Academy of Fine Art, 3 June 1955, pl. 7.
Michael Sullivan, Chinese Art in the 20th Century, University of California Press, 1959, frontispiece.

Further details

Renowned Singaporean artist and calligrapher Tan Keng Cheow (Chen Jingzhao, 1907–1972) was born in Guangdong. He earned a law degree from Shanghai Jinan University and later lectured at several colleges and universities, including Kwang Chew University. Eventually, he settled in Singapore in 1949, where he became the principal of Tuan Mong High School while also lecturing at Chung Cheng High School.

Tan Keng Cheow was the son of Tan Teo Ngo (1879-1950), an eminent calligrapher and painter. Growing up in an artistic environment, he mastered both calligraphy and painting at an early age. While in Shanghai, he studied painting under renowned masters, including Huang Binhong and Ye Gongchuo, who profoundly influenced his artistic development. During this period, he also had the opportunity to appreciate works by contemporary artists. Through Ye Gongchuo, Tan established connections with Qi Baishi and other leading artists and acquired many fine pieces directly from them, as suggested by his correspondence with Ye Gongchuo which attached a handwritten price list signed by Qi Baishi (Lot 726).

Tan was a distinguished educator, artist, and art collector. He served as the honorary chairman of the Chinese Pen Calligraphy Institution and was the superintendent of the Society of Chinese Artists. Tan trained many Singaporean artists in traditional Chinese ink and brush and influenced many in their appreciation of the art form. He played a significant role in the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore and was a noted collector of Huang Binhong’s paintings. His extensive collection of Chinese paintings, particularly works by Huang Binhong, earned him the studio names Hundred Huang Pavilion and The Studio of Three Hundred Paintings.

Notably, Huang Binhong’s Blue Landscape (Lot 723)—illustrated in the frontispiece of Michael Sullivan’s authoritative publication Chinese Art in the Twentieth Century—was part of Tan Keng Cheow’s collection.

Sale room notice

Please note that the correct dimension should be 122 x 48.7 cm. (48 x 19 1⁄8 in.)
請注意：本作品正確尺寸應為：122 x 48.7 cm. (48 x 19 1⁄8 in.)

Conditions of sale

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Carmen Shek Cerne (石嘉雯) Vice President, Head of Department, Chinese Paintings

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Lot Essay

“I have always enjoyed painting, having grown up in Xin’an, renowned for its magnificent scenery. The ancients have a saying: “Rivers and mountains are as beautiful as a painting”, suggesting that the beauty of natural scenery may still fall short of the beauty conveyed in art. A true artist deeply understands the principles of painting yet transcends them—mastery of technique allows one to align artistic expression with nature while also compensating for its imperfections, shaping and refining it through human vision. Only through the utmost sincerity and mastery of brush and ink can a composition achieve balance and harmony, becoming a great painting worthy of admiration. Those who seek to grasp the essence of creation cannot do so without understanding brushwork, ink techniques, and compositional structure.”

At 89, Huang Binhong attained the highest refinement in brush and ink, possessing a profound understanding of painting principles and theories spanning ancient dynasties to his time. He dedicated his life to studying both the old masters and nature itself. The present work, executed in a bold and expressive style, showcases fluid and controlled brushwork with rounded and weighted strokes. The interplay of mist and towering peaks creates a dynamic contrast between emptiness and solidity, embodying the essence of his artistic philosophy.

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