Evenfall: A Rare Evocative Abstraction by T'ang Haywen

This analysis examines an abstract landscape painting by T'ang Haywen, sold at Ader Auction in Paris in December 2017. It highlights the work's transition from realism to evocative abstraction, blending Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

We prepared the following analysis of an abstract landscape painting prior to its sale at Ader Auction in Paris in December 2017.

This painting, like many of T'ang Haywen's works, explores the theme of landscape — a cornerstone of Chinese art — but it represents a pivotal moment in T'ang's artistic journey, transitioning from the depiction of reality to a moving evocation of nature.

T'ang does not seek to imitate the Song masters or revive traditional Chinese painting. Instead, he channels his emotions, profound yet deeply personal, as a Daoist in the West. The mountains, ever-present, dominate the scene, symbolizing vastness against a red twilight where the fleeting moment meets eternity. The title, So quietly I sit alone - And wait for evenfall, poetically captures this serene instant.

The work pays homage to the West, echoing tributes to Cézanne, Turner, and Gauguin, yet remains deeply rooted in a Chinese perspective. The all-over composition, blending Eastern and Western influences, foreshadows T'ang's eventual return to ink. Here, he explores vertical space with an atmospheric perspective that defines the piece.

The brushwork is swift and expressive, capturing the essence of the moment. T'ang paints with urgency, as if composing music for that evening.

Accompanying the painting is Robert William Service's poem Evenfall (1874–1958), a celebration of nature and solitude by the adventurous poet and traveler. The poem mirrors the painting's quietude and gratitude for life's simple joys.

When day is done I steal away

To fold my hands in rest,

And of my hours this moment grey

I love the best;

So quietly I sit alone

And wait for evenfall,

When in the dusk doves sweetly moan And crickets call.

With heart of humble gratitude How it is good to bide,

And know the joy of solitudeIn eventide!

When one is slow and slips a bit, And life begins to pall,

How sweet it is in peace to sit

At evenfall!