Born in China, raised in Southeast Asia, and having studied in the Netherlands, Lee Man Fong would have no doubt been dubbed, in contemporary lexicon, a ‘third culture’ child. As a painter, Lee transposed this intricate, abstract life experience onto wooden boards with his deft, tangible brushstrokes. Many of Lee’s artworks feature the tranquil rural life of indigenous Indonesians, elegantly captured by his use of muted colours, which correspond to the placid undertone of much of his paintings’ thematic concerns. His compositional structure, on the other hand, reveals his Chinese roots in his portrayal of Indonesian subjects. In this regard, Lee’s practice can be viewed as a transcultural attempt to merge his indigenous culture with the culture he was living in.
Lee’s intercultural practice is exemplary in the two lots Portrait of a Seated Lady and Portrait of a Seated Woman. Both lots are portraits of indigenous Indonesian women, who sit against rustic backgrounds. In terms of compositional order, Lee has deliberately made the choice of vertical compositions, which is commonly seen in traditional Chinese painting. The delicate source of light and softly saturated tree branches in both works further strengthen Lee’s allusion to Chinese painting; thus, saluting to his roots.
Wen Zhengming, Lady in the Shade of a Plantain, 1539
Image: National Palace Museum, Taiwan
Concurrently, Lee’s portrayal of the two female figures’ physical features resembles that of the Dutch old masters’ techniques, which put an emphasis on realism and conveying emotions through the skillful contrast of light and shadow. His use of oil paint to execute the artworks certainly facilitated his realistic approaches, while adding another layer of Western touch on his Chinese compositional order and Indonesian themes. This multicultural merging of different artistic styles is the key to Lee’s unparalleled depiction of Balinese rural life, a utopian experience yearned by many.Condition Report
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Provenance
Private Collection, Jakarta
Private Collection (gifted by the above)
Nagel Auction, Stuttgart, 21 May 2004, lot 1407
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
144
Portrait of a Seated Woman
signed 'Lee Man Fong [in Chinese]' and stamped with an artist's seal lower left and upper right respectively
ink and oil on panel
105 x 51 cm. (41 3/8 x 20 1/8 in.)
Executed circa 1970.
Estimate
HK$150,000 - 250,000
€18,300-30,400
$19,200-32,100
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Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale
Hong Kong Auction 26 November 2024