Author: YU YOUREN 于右任
Size: 27.5×79cm
Signed and dated: --
Estimate:
Final Price: RMB 175,000
In this year’s auction，the Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Department will successively present a batch of well-known and high-quality works of private collectors from Taiwan. Some of these works were painted by Xu Beihong，Qi Baishi，Yu Youren，and other famous painters in 1947 as gratitude to Mr. Wu Chengyan when the calligraphy and painting exhibition was successfully held. In the “Wu Chengyan Poetry，Calligraphy and Painting Collection” published in 1963，the works are directly acquired from Mr. Wu Chengyan’s family.
Wu Chengyan (1898-1968)，also known as Yi Yu，and named “Owner of Ai Wu Lu”，a native of Jinggangshan，Jiangxi. After graduating from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts in 1925 and teaching at the Chongqing National Academy of Art during the Anti-Japanese War，he has traveled around the mainland China to host poems，books and painting exhibitions more than ten times，shared several friendships among famous artist like Qi Baishi. After 1948，Wu Chengyan settled in Taiwan and continued to work in art education also had more closely interacted with Xu Beihong，Pu Ru，Liang Hancao. Among these famous artists，Yu Youren was extremely closed to him. Yu Youren once commented that “gathered decades of energy and inherited traditional cultural spirit; at the same time excelled in poetry，calligraphy，and painting，a decent all-rounded talent.”
In March 1947，Wu held a poem，calligraphy and painting exhibition in Beijing. Yu Youren，Xu Beihong，Qi Baishi，Pu Ru，Hu Shi，and others all came to congratulate. During the banquet，led by Xu Beihong，everyone wrote and signed a volume of “Comment on Wu Chengyan’s Poems，Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition.” Xu Beihong even wrote the preface that “Wu is extremely good at painting and calligraphy which related to various styles. During the war of resistance against Japan，He was engaged in education in the rear. Therefore been to the famous mountains in the southwest，such as Emei Qingcheng，then applied to his artworks. As far as I can tell，since Mr. Chen Zhifo became the head of Chongqing National Academy of Art，he was recruited by Mr. Chen to teach. After the war，he decided to travel back to the capital.” Yu Youren even inscribed Wu Chengyan’s name “Ai Wu Lu” at the beginning of the scroll. These important calligraphy works that witnessed the close connections between the artists will also be presented in this auction.
Besides other artworks from famous artists，we will also be presenting Wu’s artworks. Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts can be considered as the first official Art academy in the modern history of China as it introduced the western educational concept. Wu Chengyan’s work is undoubtedly influenced by Western painting，but it is still based on tradition. His style is simple and natural，the color is simple and elegant，and the strokes are vigorous and strong. Mr. Wu Chengyan’s publication includes “Wu Chengyan’s Poetry and Calligraphy and Painting Collection”，“Chinese Painting Theory”，“Aiwulu Poetry” and “Zhengqige script book”. All of these had received highly recommended reviews from artists like Pu Ru，Hu Jingheng，and Wu Jingheng.
