LOT 59
YONG MUN SEN
B. Sarawak, 1896 – 1962
Paddy Field, 1940
Watercolour on paper
26 x 38 cm
Private Collection, UK
Signed and dated “Mun Sen (in chinese characters) 1940” on lower left
RM 7,000 – 12,000
Yong’s artistic forte and heart were landscapes in watercolour. With Western impressionism, complemented by Chinese calligraphy aesthetics, Yong garnered aficionados from the US, Australia and the UK. When Yong came across a scene that spoke to his soul, he would swiftly set up his easel and camp stool, equipped with a brush in hand to relay it on the canvas. Yong’s identification of his subjects’ struggles, including fishermen in seaside villagers, farmers in paddy fields and labourers in plantations took centre stage. His conveyance grants viewers with an immaculate escape, a breath of fresh air or to remind people to break away from the bustling life. It is also evident in his landscape paintings that Yong did not depict the details that made up a landscape, rather, through watercolour, he illustrated fluidity and a carefree rhythm.