Collection of Sheridan and Sallie Bell

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貝學仁與貝夫人珍藏

'Early in 1973, Sallie called me excitedly, asking me to go ๊immediately to an art gallery in Taipei where an artist new to us was exhibiting. I immediately took a taxi from the ꦡU.S. Embassy to the gallery. 

Sallie and I walked back and forth between two abstract paintings by Chuang Che. I asked Sallie which one she preferred, but for once she would not give me her opinion. Finally, I said, "Let's get this one," the one that made me feel as though I were looking into the clear ocean at magical coral below the surface. I went up to Chuang Che and sꦚaid we would like to obtain the beautiful ethereal painting. Not a minute later, another person walked up to Chuang Che and me, and told Chuang Che that he would like to purchase it! Too late for him!

Sallie told me that she had not wanted to indicate a preference betwe🤡en the two paintings because she had noticed the other person walking back and forth between them, and she had not wanted to pressure me into making a quick decision.

The other would-be buyer was so di🌳sappointed that he had not been able to obtain his first choice that he departed empty-handed. Sallie and I went happily home with our new painting, but four hours later went back to the gallery and bought the second painting from Chuang Che!

In the evening, as Sallie would be puttin🐎g ou🙈r baby to bed, I would sit in our living room and admire Chuang Che's painting (giving me a sense of peace after a stressful day) which has always been in a place of honor in our homes not only in Taipei but also in Taichung, Bologna (Italy), Paris, Washington, Beijing, Geneva and Wilmington (Delaware, USA).'

Sheridan Bell

「一九七三年初，夫人興奮地打電話給我，叫我趕緊到台北一間畫廊，去看一個我們新認識的藝術家的展出。我馬上坐計乘車從美國大使🧔館前往畫♊廊。

夫人與我在兩幅莊喆的抽象繪畫前面徘徊良久，我問夫人喜歡哪張，她沒有馬上表態。最後，我指著一幅讓我覺得彷彿穿透澄靜的海洋﹑看見底下的奇幻珊瑚的畫作，說：『就挑這張吧！』我走到莊喆跟前，說我們想購藏那幅美麗空靈的畫作；不到一分鐘之後，另一位人士來到莊喆和我面前，說他也想購藏同一幅作品！可惜，他晚了！夫人跟我說，她之前沒有在兩幅作品之間༺作出選擇，是因為她發現另外一人也在這兩幅作品之間猶豫，而她不想在我下決定時再給壓力。

另一位準藏家因為沒有買到他的首選而大感失望，最🌜後空手而回。夫人和我則帶著畫作高高興興地回家，但四個小時之後，我們又回到畫廊，跟莊喆把第二張畫作也買下了！

每到晚上，當夫人把我們的小寶寶放到床上，ꦏ我都會坐在客廳欣賞莊喆的作品，讓我經過緊張的一天之後感到安寧。這個🐷客廳掛著莊喆繪畫的地方，是我們家裡榮耀之處，不止在台北，也在台中﹑博洛尼亞﹑巴黎﹑北京﹑日內瓦和威爾明頓。」

貝學仁賞析莊喆兩幅《無題》（拍品編號749及750）