Chen Shou Soo - Italy - mid-20th century

- Rustic barn interior (dated 1955 and signed at the bottom right). - Oil on wooden panel, original frame by master Italian framer Vasco Vanelli (PS: the frame needs restoration, see photos). - Dimensions: painting 47/64 cm (18.5/25.2 inches); frame 64/80 cm (25.2/31.5 inches). Chen Shou Soo (1907-1985), an artist whose unique destiny links China and Italy: 1. Training and love in Rome (1930 - 1940) Originally from China, Chen Shou Soo arrived in Italy in the early 1930s to study at the Rome Academy of Fine Arts. He absorbed Western techniques, notably the Neapolitan school. At the academy, he met Lina Lattanzi, an Italian student from Puglia and a painter like him. They fell in love and married. 2. Clandestinity and war (1940 - 1945) At the start of World War II, Mussolini's fascist regime ordered the expulsion or internment of Chinese citizens. For love, Lina refused to leave him. The couple chose to flee and spent the entire war hidden in the Roman countryside, living in hiding to escape persecution. 3. The Italian period and success (1945 - 1965) After Liberation, the family settled in Lina’s native region of Puglia. In 1952, their son Silvio was born. Chen Shou Soo then led the life of a traveling artist, painting on the ground (en plein air), often on small wooden panels. His style blends Chinese sensibility with Italian impressionism. It is during this period of full recognition that he painted this painting, dated 1955. 4. Return to China and teaching (1965 - 1985) A fervent supporter of New China, Chen Shou Soo decided to return to his homeland in 1965 after a long train journey across Russia. His wife accompanied him. He became a professor at the Beijing Institute of Fine Arts. Political upheavals in China (the Cultural Revolution) sometimes complicated their situation, prompting the couple to teach in Hong Kong later as well. He passed away in 1985.

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