Lot 77 | 3 October 2021

 

 

LOT 77

YONG MUN SEN

B. Sarawak, 1896 – 1962

House by a River, 1950

Signed and dated on lower left

Watercolour on paper

39 x 28 cm

Private Collection, United Kingdom

RM 4,000 – RM 9,000

Yong Mun Sen’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 villages, 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. The ‘House by a River, 1950’ is an illustration of just that, taking viewers back to a time when the waters were pristine, beach clean and the villagers about their routine– evoking a feeling of nostalgia.