Collection of the artist's family
Important Private Asian Collection

New York, Robert Schoelkopf Gallery, Yun Gee, 7 - 31 May 1968
Storrs, The William Benton Museum of Art, The University of Connecticut, The Paintings of Yun Gee, 13 October - 18 November 1979
Taipei, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, The Art of Yun Gee, 25 March – 14 June 1992

Joyce Brodsky ed., The Paintings of Yun Gee, The William Benton Museum of Art, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, 1979, p. 61
The Art of Yun Gee, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, 1992, p. 110
Gu Yue, World Famous Artists: Yungee Chu, Hebei Publishing Media Group, Beijing, 2014, p. 165

The work is overall in very good and its original condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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Symbols of an Era

Chinese-American artist Yun Gee was a daring pioneer, whose style was the culmination of various cultural influences. When he arrived in San Francisco from China, Yun Gee was primarily painting within the Synchronist movement. Later, when he had moved to Paris, the artist’s experiences further expanded as he came to know the talented painters of the Paris School. It was during these years in Paris that the highly distinguished Galerie Bernheim-Jeune held a solo exhibition for Yun Gee, which was an unequivocal affirmation of the artist’s career. When the Great Depression struck in 1930, Yun Gee was forced to leave Paris and return to the United States. The artist relocated to New York, ready to take on new ground and continue expanding his horizons. Still Life with Hat (Lot 1020) was completed during the period in which Yun Gee had first arrived in New York, a time in the artist’s life when he was filled with strong and optimistic ambition.

Still Life with Hat is a continuation of Yun Gee’s style during the Paris period. It belongs to his lyrical phase, the artist having shifted from more geometric compositions to curving lines, a testament to the artistic influence of Paris during his three-year stay. The main colour theme is a sandy yellow, and the composition is rich, rendered with bold and decisive strokes. The slanted lines emanate with a strong sense of rhythm, displaying the artist’s confidence toward his future. The tableau is filled with a flowing cadence and energy, conjuring Van Gogh’s vigorous and romantic starry skies.

Still Life with Hat is a depiction of still life objects under a lamp. The lampshade is at the top of the canvas, the brown line marking the floral trim of the shade. On the table are fruits, fresh flowers, and a hat. One can make out faint English letters on the white object in the upper left, which appears to be the New York Times. Within these objects, the artist is not simply depicting still objects upon a table, but rather revealing symbols of his own life. The hat represents the artist himself, while the flowers are a symbol of flourishing vitality, and the lamp a symbol of light and boundless hope. The artist has intentionally placed a newspaper in the scene, where it appears as the brightest colour on the canvas, hinting at the artist’s bold aspirations for his career in New York City, where he was then just a newcomer. Still Life with Hat is thus an expression of the artist’s style of painting as well as the shifts and changes of his personal journey.