The Only Prunus Painting by the Artist In the 1940s 

Auction Debut to Lead the 20th and 21st Century Art Evening Sale

30 November | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Hong Kong – On 30 November, the auction debut of Sanyu’s masterpiece - Potted Prunus (estimate: HK$85,000,000 – 100,000,000 / US$11,000,000 – 13,000,000) will take centre-stage at the 20th and 21st Century Art Evening Sale, underscoring Christie’s continued market leadership in offering the most representative works by the artist at auction*.

Fresh To The Market With Exceptional Provenance: The work, which makes its auction debut this November, was originally owned by Jean-Claude Riedel, a Parisian dealer and important collector of Sanyu’s works, and was later purchased by Raymond & Catherine Meyer, before being held by important private Asian collectors.

An Extremely Rare Theme Featuring Prunus: Potted Prunus is the only prunus painting by the artist created in the 1940s, and the only work that presents prunus on a golden wooden table with longevity symbols.

A Museum-Quality Masterpiece – One of Only Ten Prunus Oil Paintings by Sanyu: Sanyu only created approximately 300 oil paintings in his lifetime and, within this body of work, only ten feature prunus as a subject, three of which reside in the collection of the National Museum of History in Taipei.

A Sign Of Hope In Times of Challenge: The prunus itself signifies nobleness and Sanyu painted Potted Prunus in the 1940s, an incredibly tumultuous time when, at over 50 years old, the artist lived through World War II in Europe and lost his family wealth, giving up on painting for a period. Consequently, there are a very limited number of works by Sanyu from the 1940s, and this is the only known work from the time which depicts the “prunus” theme.

Unique Oriental Style Merging With The School of Paris: Sanyu moved to Paris in the 1920s, the epicentre of artistic innovation and creative bohemianism at the time. He emerged as an outstanding talent in the School of Paris by integrating what was then a highly avant-garde type of flat, planar expression through line and colour with the spirit of Eastern aesthetics. Potted Prunus fully displays this unique amalgamation.

Public Preview:

Taipei | 22 – 23 Oct | Taipei Marriott Hotel, No. 199, Lequn 2nd Road, Zhongshan District

Beijing | 7 – 8 Nov |  China World Summit Wing, No.1 Jianguomenwai Avenue

Shanghai | 11 – 13 Nov | BUND ONE, 4/F, No.1 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road

Hong Kong | 26 – 30 November | Convention Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No.1 Harbour Road, Wanchai

Live Auction:

Hong Kong | 30 November | Convention Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No.1 Harbour Road, Wanchai