Nu and Sanyu’s Philosophy of Life

In modern art history, Sanyu had once been the lone Eastern star in Paris. Living in France through World War II and working in New York in the 1940s, Sanyu perfected his art through the 1950s, refining his work to create impressive yet pure canvases. His most famous paintings of nudes show that he engaged with and elevated this classic subject in Western art, imbuing it with the philosophy and wisdom imparted by Chinese sages. During this season’s Modern Art Evening Sale, Replica Shoes ’s is proud to offer Sanyu’s Nu (Lot 1016), the painting that proved to be the most eye-catching work in Sanyu’s final solo exhibition, held in 1966 in a villa owned by his friends, the Levy family. In the dozen photographs of the exhibition preserved by the family, Nu appeared most often of any subject, and it is the only work with which the artist had chosen to be photographed. Nu (1965) was also part of this historic exhibition, and fetching close to 198 million HKD at Replica Shoes ’s Hong Kong Autumn Sale in 2019, the painting set a new record for the artist. Examining Nu and Nu (1965) together, the two are closely connected, representing Sanyu’s artistic ambitions. In its large dimensions, Nu compares with Quatre Nus, which sold for more than 258.3 million HKD at this year’s Replica Shoes ’s Hong Kong Spring Sale. As the largest Sanyu oil painting of a nude still in private hands, the masterful Nu is another piece of the artist’s brilliant legend.

Sanyu’s works from the 1950s onward brought together the freehand spirit of Chinese traditional painting and minimalism from Western modern art. Nu is grand and sublime, and its proportions are overwhelming. The nude woman reclines with one ankle resting on a bent knee, leaving little space around her. Her form is succinct, and the thick black lines that delineate her contours are filled with an amber color, used to model her skin and muscle, set off in sharp contrast against the abstract white background. In this work, the gaze rests on the female form from a unique perspective, first.mes eting her legs and buttocks. As her left foot rests on one knee, this creates an opening which permits a glimpse of her breast and face. This peculiar vantage point creates an irresistible desire to keep looking. Nu stands apart, decidedly different from portraits or nudes past or present, even distinct from the nudes Sanyu painted in the 1920s and 1930s. The artist transforms the contours of the figure into towering cliffs and fantastical rocks, taking the woman’s seductive body as a metaphor for the grandeur of nature that is the source of all things.

Nu brings together two traditions of artistic innovation: the nudes of Western art and Chinese landscape painting. Comparing this piece together with Nu (1965), the two works have very similar compositions. The reclining postures of the two nudes and the positions of their right legs are almost identical. The major difference between the two works is the figure’s left leg: in one work, it rests on her right knee, and in the other, it lies bent on the ground. If Nu (1965) emphasized the verticality of the right leg, giving it the flavour of a Northern Song landscape painting, then Nu adds a stroke to that similarly modelled right leg, creating an opening framed by both legs. With that addition, he created something that would have interested scholar’s rock enthusiasts among the Chinese literati, who appreciated thinness, openness, perforations, and wrinkling in their stones. On closer examination, the nude figure in Nu cleverly conforms to these standards. The legs form a perforation, adding a visual effect to Nu that Nu (1965) did not have, which allows the viewer to catch a glimpse of the woman’s chest and face, thereby adding layers and depth. This might bring to mind Eastern Jin writer Tao Qian and the discovery of the peach blossom spring in his iconic work The Peach Blossom Spring. Incidentally, Sanyu gained considerable fame in his early years for the prints he created for Les Poèmes de T'ao Ts'ien. Nu, created in the artist’s later years, presents the female form as an object of contemplation, upon which the beholder may arrive at a deeper appreciation of the charms of landscape. Sanyu’s ever-present sensual humor is augmented by his philosophy as a mature painter.

Nu reveals Sanyu’s Asian roots, but it also foundationally created from the decades Sanyu worked in the modern art circles of Paris. In the 1920s and 1930s, Sanyu was part of the School of Paris, the avant-garde of modern art. His early work reflects the influences of modern photography, Cubism, and Surrealism. By the t.mes he was painting nudes in the prime of his life, Sanyu had clearly taken inspiration from Cubism, infusing an awareness of movement into the modelling of the figures. In Quatre Nus, for example, the four nude women are not at all static, as Sanyu captured a moment in which these four women are reclining on the grass with an almost photographic approach. The smooth, rounded contours of their bodies echo one another, creating a sense of gentle rising and falling. In Nu, Sanyu developed a larger series, and through many visually unusual nudes against a white ground, he created elements in an all-new visual language for the nude body. As we noted, the key difference between Nu and Nu (1965) lies in the position of the left leg, and we can imagine the artist reworking that aspect several t.mes s in the course of his creative process, seeking more explosive, more expressive language of the body. In looking through a full list of his works, we see that, although Nu was the largest single-figure nude painting made during this period, Sanyu created a group of similar yet slightly smaller works around the same t.mes , a total of fifteen paintings. All have the same abstract, empty white background, removing all superfluous elements from the composition to focus his expressive powers on the human figure. This composition was not present in Sanyu’s early work, and from what we know about his life, this series was inspired by his friendship and deep discussions with American photographer Robert Frank beginning in the 1940s, which brought Sanyu’s early interest in photography deeper into his paintings.

After World War II, Sanyu painted Nu and works like it to reflect the Chinese literati’s appreciation for the beauty of scholar’s rocks as a parallel for the female form. Around this t.mes , other artists of modern sculpture were making waves, including British sculptor Henry Moore who from 1968 to 1969 created his classic Oval with Points, inspired by associations with weathered rocks in nature and elephant bone specimens. A comparison of this work with Sanyu’s Nu reveals great resonance, as the two artists took inspiration and innovation from the other. In Oval with Points, Moore was moving toward complete abstraction, and in Nu, Sanyu elevated the female nude to a philosophical reflection on the universe. In 2004, the Musée Guimet held Sanyu’s first French museum exhibition, entitled “Sanyu: L'écriture du corps.” In this show, France, Sanyu’s second home, revealed its insight and judgement, and recognized the uniqueness of his nudes. Nu was an important part of that exhibition, showing its unparalleled scholarly value.

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須彌寓芥子，赤軀蘊穹蒼：《蹺腿的裸女》與常玉生命徹悟

現代藝術史上，常玉是獨行於巴黎的東方巨擘：二〇年代，他隨著中國勤工儉學風潮而來，親歷現代藝術浪漫璀璨的黃金盛世；當徐悲鴻、林風眠、吳大羽等同儕學成歸國、開宗立派之際，他卻毅然紮根花都，成為中國藝術家遠征海外最徹底之一員；經歷二次大戰及四〇年代紐約發展之歷練，常玉的藝術至五〇年代臻至爐火純青，畫面大氣磅礡，氣質沉澱純粹，與早年的溫柔婉轉截然不同，若聚焦其最著名的裸女作品，更可見藝術家將此西方藝術的經典主題突破昇華，進入人生與宇宙關係的哲學思考，體現東方賢哲從古至今的終極關懷。本次晚間拍賣，蘇富比隆重呈獻常玉《蹺腿的裸女》（拍品編號1016），此乃藝術家1966年於摯友勒維家族別墅舉行人生最後一次個展之最矚目作品，從勒維家族保存的十多幅珍貴現場照片，可見《蹺腿的裸女》出現次數冠絕全場，亦是當時唯一與藝術家留有合照之作；同於此次歷史性展覽登場的《曲腿裸女》，去年於蘇富比香港秋拍即以港幣197,974,000刷新藝術家拍賣紀錄，若以本幅《蹺腿的裸女》與《曲腿裸女》並觀，可見兩者聯繫密切，聯袂體現常玉壯心不已的創作鴻圖；論尺幅之恢宏，《蹺腿的裸女》更與本年於蘇富比香港春拍以港幣258,340,992成交之《綠色背景四裸女》庶幾相同，位居私人手上最大尺幅的常玉裸女油畫最前列。如今巨作鈞臨，勢必為常玉傳奇再添精彩篇章。

「1948年或1949年的夏季前後，我在巴黎的友人家見到常玉。他身材壯實，看來年近五十…他顯得很自在，不拘禮節…我早聽說過常玉，因此我到巴黎後凡能見到他作品的場合便特別留意觀察。他的油畫近乎水墨寫意，但形與色的構成方面仍基於西方現代造型觀念…他敏感，極度任性，品位高雅…進入五六十年代的常玉更鍾情於漆黑了，他立足於在深黑的底色上勾勒出花卉、虎豹、裸女，如在淺底色上用線勾勒，那線也用烏黑的鐵一般的線，肯定明確，入木三分。」

吳冠中《說常玉》節錄，一九九八年

1998年，吳冠中發表文章《說常玉》，追憶他抗戰之後赴法留學時期對於常玉的回憶與評論，堪稱華人現代大師之中對於常玉最直接、最深入的第一手研究資料。從吳冠中的剖析，可知常玉五〇年代以後的作品風格，結合了中國傳統書畫的寫意精神與西方現代藝術的簡約主義。從這種去除藻飾的洗練意識，可知藝術家亟欲作品聚焦更深刻之主旨。《蹺腿的裸女》宏大崇高，藝術家在本作以壓倒性比例，將空間悉數賦與一位蹺腿躺臥的裸女，四周僅餘少許空間；裸女形象簡練，其輪廓以厚重粗獷的墨色線條勾勒，內裡塗以琥珀色調塑造肌膚，與其置身於抽象玄白的背景構成強烈對比；常玉早在三〇年代已經以誇張變形的裸女形象飲譽畫壇，在本作更將此推向極致，將觀看裸女的視角從極為特殊的位置切入，使得觀者先見裸女臀部與雙腿，再通過左足與右膝交疊所形成的穿孔，透見裸女胸脯與面容。這種匪夷所思的觀看形式，產生不可逆拒的迫視感，與古往今來的肖像或裸體繪畫都迥然大異，甚至與常玉二、三〇年代傳遞著戀愛與色情意味的裸女作品都極為不同，更似是將人體輪廓變化為佶屈嵯峨的峭壁奇岩，將媚惑迷人的女性胴體，比喻為萬物根源的自然大化。

在世界文明當中，以人體幻化為山川河嶽的神話傳說古已有之，如中國三國時期徐整《三王曆紀》明文紀錄「盤古開天闢地」:「天地渾沌，盤古生其中…目為日月，髭為星辰，眉為斗樞，九竅為九州，乳為崑崙，膝為南嶽，股為太山」；公元前十至十五世紀的古印度《梨俱吠陀》亦有原人「普魯薩」以身體創造世界之典故；古希臘神話當中，大地女神「蓋亞」更是創造原始神祇和宇宙萬有的大母神。常玉散逸不羈，作品素有強烈道家意識，其以裸女貫通山水，不止是藝術形象之結合，更是哲學精神之昇華。《莊子・齊物論》中「天地與我並生，萬物與我為一」，容或為他的藝術創作提供靈感，將西方經典的裸女題材作出關鍵突破，同時讓此中國繪畫千百年來最為邊沿化的題材，驟然獲得結合中國書畫最崇高之山水主題與道家精神之契機。

《蹺腿的裸女》將西方裸女與東方山水合而為一，在常玉的盛年作品當中並非孤例，若與文章開首提到之《曲腿裸女》並觀，即可發現兩幅作品構思相近，甚至兩幅裸女在上半身的躺臥與右腿的屈曲狀態都極為相似，最大分別只在於左腿高擱右膝抑或平放屈曲。如果說《曲腿裸女》強調高聳直立的右腿，使之有如北宋的大山大水，那麼本幅《蹺腿裸女》則在造型相同的右腿之上再添一筆，藉著雙足交疊之穿孔，形成中國文人賞石別有洞天之妙趣—傳統賞石講求「瘦、皺、漏、透」，若對照《蹺腿的裸女》，則可發現本幅裸女造型與賞石標準竟然妙相契合—此一腿間穿孔，為《蹺腿裸女》帶來《曲腿裸女》所沒有的透視效果，讓觀者在觀看裸女胸部與面容時，有如層層深入，一窺究竟。如此過程，竟與東晉陶潛《桃花源記》中發現桃花源的過程如出一轍：「林盡水源，便得一山。山有小口，彷彿若有光，便舍船，從口入。初極狹，纔通人；復行數十步，豁然開朗。土地平曠，屋舍儼然。」常玉早年曾以創作《陶潛詩集》版畫名噪一時；及至其晚年創作之《蹺腿的裸女》，竟能以裸女形體深得山水妙趣，不但可見藝術家貫徹始終的情色幽默，更可見其晚年豁然開朗之妙想玄思。

《蹺腿的裸女》不止呼應常玉的東方根源，同時亦可見藝術家投身西方現代藝壇數十年之薰染。常玉自二、三〇年代即處身現代藝術最前衛的群落「巴黎畫派」，早期作品往往可見現代攝影、立體主義與超現實主義之影響；及至五〇年代，藝術家對於現代思潮的理解與運用更顯深刻與純熟，在裸女作品之演進尤其可見箇中得益：西方的裸體繪畫歷史雖然悠久，然而直至印象派為止，無論作品如何變化，始終在於呈現人物的靜止狀態；常玉在盛年創作裸女之時，明顯汲取立體主義靈感，為人物塑造注入運動意識，譬如文首提及的《綠色背景四裸女》，即可見四位裸女造型並非靜止，而是以攝影概念攝取四人倘佯草地之一瞬；四人流暢渾圓的輪廓線條亦彼此呼應，形成畫面生生不息的循環；及至《蹺腿的裸女》，藝術家更發展出宏大的創作系列，透過多幅視覺奇特的玄白背景裸女，組成具有連環性的嶄新裸體視覺語言。正如前段所述，《蹺腿的裸女》與《曲腿裸女》的關鍵分別在於左腿之動勢，可以推想藝術家在創作過程當中反覆錘煉，尋求更具爆發力、更具表現性的人類身體語言，若翻查常玉作品全集，即可見《蹺腿的裸女》雖為此一時期最大尺幅的單體裸女作品，但藝術家同時還創作了一眾尺幅略小的相似作品，合共十五幅，其皆同樣以抽象玄虛的白色為背景，即旨在使作品去除附加因素，將表現力集中於人體本身。此一構想，乃藝術家早年創作所無，知人論世，其靈感或來自四〇年代與日後成為美國攝影大師的羅勃・法蘭克的友誼與深入交流，使得常玉早年對攝影之涉獵，更深入流進其繪畫創作之中。

《蹺腿的裸女》在二戰之後透過裸女的身體語言呈現東方文人賞石之美，與此同時，西方現代雕塑亦有以相近創意成就重要作品。英國國寶級雕塑大師亨利・摩爾在1968至69年創作出畢生經典《尖環》，靈感即源自大自然風化岩石以及東非象骨標本之聯想，其外似圓環，象徵生命能量循環不斷，中央穿透，予人視野無限，若以常玉《蹺腿的裸女》與摩爾《尖環》對比，可見兩位大師在靈感與創意上彼此呼應，摩爾藉《尖環》全面邁向抽象創作，而常玉則透過《蹺腿的裸女》將裸女繪畫昇華至宇宙哲學之思辯。亦因如此，2004年當巴黎吉美國立亞洲藝術博物館為常玉舉行首個法國博物館展覽，主題即為「常玉：身體語言」，可見藝術家的第二故鄉洞見卓識，深知藝術家之裸女創作成就獨到，而《蹺腿的裸女》更在當年展覽擔當重要示例，見證無與倫比的學術價值。