1920年出生於中國江蘇的朱德群，自幼學習中國畫與遍覽中國古典詩詞，浸淫在中國內斂敦厚文化傳統之中，往往提取水墨的線條、筆法和韻律感，構成他日後抽象創作不可或缺的養分。1935年朱德群進入由留法歸國的林風眠（1900-1991）校長主持之杭州藝專，受到校內訴求「介紹西洋藝術、整理中國藝術、調和中西藝術、創造時代藝術」的自由學風薰陶，展開對西方繪畫理論與技法的接觸與吸納，啟蒙他走向中國現代繪畫的道路。1955年為尋求中國繪畫現代化的解答，他遠赴巴黎，親炙西方百花齊放的現代藝術潮流。同年朱德群受到俄裔法國抽象畫家尼古拉·德·斯塔埃爾(Nicolas de Steal, 1914-1955)的啟迪，創作風貌發生巨大的轉變，由具象轉為抽象。從此他將對自然造化的喜愛之情，融會中國水墨筆法的寫意韻律與抽象表現主義的自在揮灑，消解形象、擷取精神，凝聚出變化萬千的抒情之作。

眾所周知朱德群自1985年出現著名的「雪景系列」作品，不僅數量稀少，畫面亦展現對雪景與雪花表達的精確掌握，極具詩情畫意又富浪漫優雅的氣息。「雪景系列」起源於他1985年赴瑞士日內瓦參加「五個抽象畫家聯展」的回程途中，再度遭逢暴風雪，畫家深受眼前的景致所震懾，覆蓋皚皚白雪的阿爾卑斯山，在朦朧風雪當中，那層次分明且豐富的白，飄盪搖曳的白雪美景，令其心中激動不已，甚至浮現出句句優美的唐詩意境。事實上，早在20年前畫家即開始對雪景題材進行鑽研與實驗，1965年他受醫生保羅．蓋伊（Paul Gay）之邀，前往法國薩瓦參加鄉村藝術節，停留期間有次登上阿爾卑斯山之勃朗峰，首次俯瞰披上厚重白雪的連綿山脈，從此壯闊且白雪紛飛的景色縈繞其心，從1960年代中後期初嘗淡色大筆觸，至1970年代運用白色漸層背景襯以線性筆觸，勾勒出光之流動性。然而朱德群始終感到不滿意，直至1985年的特殊際遇，才突破多年來表現雪景的瓶頸，使其登上其藝術創作的巔峰。

中國唐代書畫兼擅的自然派詩人王維，於其《畫學秘訣》提出「肇自然之情，成造化之功」，講求將自然孕育於胸，重神而略形的繪畫觀念，影響著朱德群在發展「雪景系列」的漫長創作過程中。誠如本此呈獻的佳品Lot1073《抽象》創作於1984年，屬於「雪景系列」出現前的醞釀之作之一，畫面湖水綠依色調濃淡，深色自中央偏下位置，朝逆時針旋轉，色彩漸淺，乃至混入白色，呈現輕薄透亮的淡綠，猶如刮起一道清淺柔和的旋風，輔以碧綠與橘黃恣意遊走的線條，朱德群將此股輕淺的微風，生動地再現於四方畫布中，保留其流動奔放卻溫和清爽的意象，頗具沁人心脾之效。

若參照1980年代同樣採用藍綠為底色的抽象創作，比如1986年雪花滿布紛飛的《遠處》及1987年藍綠兩色構成陰鬱深沉的《2.12.87》，Lot1073《抽象》背景採湖水綠的單純遞進漸層，結合適度地刷白，使畫幅色彩顯得更為乾淨簡潔，予人清澈涼爽的清新感受。再者，線條所營造的畫面律動，上述兩幅《遠處》和《2.12.87》，顯得混濁而躁動，彰顯出Lot1073《抽象》穿插交會、纖細猶絲的橘綠兩色線條，則更顯圓滑流暢，甚至賦予觀者對颯爽涼風的無盡想像，這種捨去外觀形象，專注內心感知的中國傳統美學精神，追求由「形象」引領出不可言傳之「意象」，是朱德群抽象藝術最具魅力之處。

Chu Teh Chun was born in Jiangsu , China in year 1920 . He studied Chinese paintings and Chinese classical poetry starting from a very young age . Immersing in the introverted and honest cultural tradition of China , the curves , brushwork and rhythm of ink using became the indispensable parts of his abstract creation later on . In year 1935 , Chu Teh Chun entered Hangzhou Art School which was held by principal Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) that just finished his higher education from France . Through the positive influence of a free style of study of that school mentioning “Introduce Western art , Arrange Chinese art , Coordinate Chinese and Western art , Create art of its time”, it opened the drawing theory and skills’ contact and absorb towards Western art . These enlightened him to the road of modern Chinese paintings . He went to Paris in 1955 in order to find the answer of the modernization of Chinese paintings . He was in the period of the free expression of Modern art trend of the Western world . At the same year , Chu Teh Chun was inspired by Russian abstract painter Nicolas de Steal(1914-1955) in France . This lead to a huge changes to his style of creation , which was from figurative to abstract . Since then he let the love of painting towards nature combined with a free hand drawing and abstract expressionism of Chinese ink brushwork . Digesting image , capturing spirits and all these lead to a ever changing lyrical works .

As many people know , the famous “snow scene series” that started from year 1985 by Chu Teh Chun , not only it has a scarcity in quantity , it also represented the precise handling towards snow scene and snow flakes as shown in the picture . It has a poetic and romantic flavor . “Snow series” began in 1985 during his coming back from “Five abstract artists joint exhibition” from Switzerland , Geneva . He encountered snowstorm again and was amazed by what he see . The Alps was covered with tons of white snow . The whites of the snow was clearly layered in hazy wind and snow . This scene made his heart excited that even the artistic conception of Tang poetry was emerged in his mind . In fact , starting from 20 years ago artists started to have studies and experiments towards snow scene subject . He went to Savoie , France to participate rural art festival with the invitation of Dr. Paul Gay in year 1965 . During his stay he conquered Mont Blanc of the Alps . Since the first time he overlooked the chain of mountains with heavy white snow , his heart was filled with magnificent snow falling scenery . Starting from late 1960s , he tried soft color with big brushwork for the very first time . He used white gradient background with linear brushwork till 1970s in order to outline the fluidity of light . But still Chu Teh Chun was not satisfied . He overcame the bottleneck of representing snow scene till 1985 due to a special encounter and it made his art boarded the peak of creation .

The Chinese poet Wang Wei from the Tang Dynasty proposed “acting based on the feeling of nature” in his book “The secret of painting”. The important aim is to let the nature speaks and focus on the spirits rather than shape . These thoughts affected the long development of Chu Teh Chun’s “Snow scene series” creation process . The great masterpiece presented this time is Lot1073 “Abstract” that was created during 1984 . It was an art piece before the “Snow scene series” . In the picture , the green lake color shades depending on tones , darker color appears in the lower middle area . The shades of the color turn shallow with the add of white color anti-clockwise and it appears to show a light and bright green color . It appears to be a shallow and mild whirlwind with the supplement of jade and orange yellow lines . Chu Teh Chun let this mild breeze vividly appears on the square canvas , keeping the fluid , unrestrained but mild and fresh feeling . It was refreshing to look at this painting .

If we reference the abstract creation with the same blue green base color created in the 1980s , like the artwork “Far away” from 1986 and “2.12.87” from 1987 , Lot1073 “Abstract” background used a pure green lake color with a progressive gradient with the combination of white . It let the whole painting even more pure and gives a fresh and chill feeling . Moreover , the rhythm created by the lines in “Far away” and “2.12.87”appears to be turbid and restless . It makes Lot1073 “Abstract” seems to be more fluent in lines . It even gives out an unlimited imagination of chill and mild wind for the viewer . These kind of rounding the outer image , focusing on the inner sense of Chinese traditional aesthetics spirit was Chu Teh Chun’s most eye catching point of his abstract artwork creation .

Lot 1073 朱德群《抽象》