LOT DETAILS

Materials:

Oil on board

Measurements:

8.46 in. (21.50 cm.) (height) by 10.83 in. (27.50 cm.) (width)

Description:

SIGN UP or LOG IN

Markings:

Signed in English on bottom right

Provenance:

PROVENANCEImportant private collection, AsiaYang San-lang is an important figure that cannot go unmentioned in the development and history of modern Taiwanese art. In 1924, Yang San-lang enrolled in the Kansai Arts Institute, one of the two major western painting institutions in Japan. Studying under the “Pleinairist” professor Kuroda Shigetarō, Yang learned the western Impressionist style of capturing natural light and shadow effects and fine painting. The techniques he mastered, his enthusiasm of nature and bold use of vivid and varied color set him apart from his peers studying in Japan. His work Easter Time （1927） was selected to be displayed in the 1st Taiwan Art Exhibition, an event held in Taiwan and organized by the Japanese colonial government, breeding a flock of talents we are familiar with in today’s Taiwanese art scene. The work was later acquired by then Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan, Kamiyama Mitsunoshin, which Yang took as a major encouragement.Yang San-lang graduated from the Kansai Arts Institute in 1928, later on departing for France in 1931 to pursue his art studies further. In Paris, he dedicated his time to observing the great works of art museums around the city and practicing en plein air painting. After his return to Taiwan, Yang San-lang teamed up with Tan Ting-pho, Liao Chi-chun, and other peers who had overseas experience and received affirmation from the Taiwan Art Exhibition to found the Tai-Yang Art Society. This society recruited Taiwan’s first-class artists of the time and promoted the “Taiwan New Art Movement.” They steadfastly adhered to the practice of outdoor sketches, bringing an air of lightness and freshness to the Taiwanese art scene.Yang San-lang strongly advocated working outside of the studio, allowing himself to immerse in nature. After countless hours observing and experiencing nature, he mastered the characteristics and essence of nature scenes, allowing him to unhesitatingly capture the constant evolution of nature. Yang once said, “I cannot say why, but I like the thickness that comes along with oil painting.” This auction is offering Yang’s Sunrise on Snow Mountain, a work of a high-elevation scenescape completed in the 1980’s during his time in Japan. Among his works of seascapes and summer atmospheres, he was lacking a work of art that depicted a snowy scene （likely because he had been living in Taiwan）, making Sunrise on Snow Mountain all the rarer. When he was painting this picture, despite being in his seventies at the time, not the slightest bit of enthusiasm was degraded in its creation. On the contrary, as he was doing quite well for himself at the time, his strokes were more unrestrained and free, brimming with confidence and sobriety. On the canvas, Yang was able to put his abilities on full display, highlighting natural momentum and beauty. In the painting, the trunks and foliage of the cedar trees are still visible under the snow. The sun rises slowly in the distance, providing a breath of warmth and light that shines onto the still pine forest, amidst the cold of the snow. Looking closely, one can see the artist’s selection of rich colors such as indigos, mauves, and dark greens emerging from the detail of the pine foliage. The artist uses a thick coating of gray and white to texture the snow where the sunrise hits it, accentuating the natural vividness of the snow on the tree branches. The painting portrays a unique winter atmosphere, leaving viewers with a deep understanding of the artist’s passion for life and his love of nature.“I want to have bold and decisive attitude towards art, in constant pursuit of a unique beauty that affirms my artistic efforts and struggles. I am willing to have a rigorous and rational attitude towards art, putting forth the entirety of my strength into my work, in order to provide art work for future generations. The biggest concern in my life is my paintings, so I dedicate everything I have to them.”—— Yang San-lang