LOT 60
LEE MAN FONG
B. China, 1913 – 1988
Market in Cairo, 1978
Signed “M Fong 1978” with artist’s seal on lower right
Pastel on paper heightened in whites
44.5 x 66 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Singapore
Formerly in the Private Collection of A Distinguished Collector in Jakarta, Indonesia
RM 20,000 – RM 35,000
Lee Man Fong was a Chinese-Indonesian painter who had his training in China and Western Europe, and lived most of his life in Indonesia, developing a particular style that amalgamated his teachings with a quiet yet passionate vision. His works are highly coveted by many for the fusion of Chinese brushwork and Western techniques which resulted in richly sentimental yet elegant paintings. A leading painter and curator of his time, the artist pioneered the Nanyang style in the 20th century in Indonesia. This pastel on paper piece is study of a market in Cairo, depicting the hustle and bustle of the market and capturing the atmosphere and spirit of the place. The ‘Ancient Street in Cairo’s’ oil on canvas painting was sold at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings on 2nd April 2012 for HKD 400,000 (RM 220,572).