羅芙奧季刊第41期 RAVENEL QUARTERLY NO. 41

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發行人 Publisher / 王鎮華 Arthur Wang

監製 Managing Director / 李雅欣 Wendy Lee 總編輯 Editor-in-Chief / 陳惠黛 Odile Chen 主編 Managing Editor / 葉子微 Gina Yeh 編輯 Editor / 陳昱良 Iris Chen

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羅芙奧藝術集團香港辦公室 香港中環金融街 8 號國際金融中心二期 19 樓 電話 Tel / +852 2889 0859 傳真 Fax / +852 2889 0850

羅芙奧藝術集團上海辦公室 200050 中國上海市長寧區鎮寧路 465 弄 181 號 1 幢 2 樓 2E 電話 Tel / +86 21 2411 9575 傳真 Fax / +86 21 2411 9570

上升的西班牙當代藝術家新星。 關懷環境，家具時尚尋求可持續性，澳洲設計師布羅迪．尼 爾布羅迪 Brodie Neill 的作品，既是家具亦是藝術品。從英國王室 的珠寶收藏與傳承制度，談彩鑽的貴族傳世象徵。 Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus 高檔酒店，網球 23 座大滿貫女單冠軍小威廉絲、鱷 魚先生結合時尚與運動的故事，以及知名影集帶動取名自法國長棍 麵包 Baguette 的貝貴提包風潮，都是本期雜誌所欲分享的精彩篇章。

The Child-Like Era That Took The World By Storm: The Art of Yoshitomo Nara

Text / 李維屏 Apolline Li Photo / Ravenel International Art Group

All of my works are reflections of myself. They are conversations with myself. —

Yoshitomo Nara

智。對於他而言藝術啟蒙於音樂，但旅行可說是告別一段生命里程的重 要儀式；旅行也讓奈良美智找到和世界溝通的途徑，驅動他去探索人生 的未知。遊走於學院知性研究與旅行的感性啟發，求學期間，兩度到歐 洲旅行。而第二次的旅行參觀完 1987 年卡塞爾文件大展之後，心中有 了決定，結束七年名古屋的學習，隔年前往德國留學。 盡顯精髓的象徵性年份 獨樹一格的大頭娃娃

在異鄉期間也經常一個人面對創作時的孤立狀態，此件標誌性大型 創作《咖啡杯孩子們》創作於 1995 年，不僅是一件盡顯精髓的代表性

走入大眾的重要里程碑 「現在的畫不只單方面投射出情感，也希望看的人能夠感受到」 奈良美智 孤獨，是奈良美智作品裡的人物的共同點，成長於寒冷的青森縣弘 前市，如他所言「我非常的孤單，周遭只有蘋果樹⋯，我能說話的對象 只有大自然，所以我會對樹、對狗、對豬⋯，所以我對大自然有種特殊 的情感，幾年之後，我發現這其實不是件壞事。」旅居德國期間前後長 達了 12 年，離鄉背井的奈良美智與故鄉間的距離有著好幾萬公里之遙， 在語言全然不通的情況下，猶如一場長年自我放逐的創作之旅。奈良曾 說過「杜塞爾多夫的冷與暗很像在青森縣成長的那段時光，與日本疏 離，這讓我想起我是誰，也幫助我重新發現自己。」 2002 年 9 月底，奈良美智與知名攝影工作者川內倫子，一同踏上 前往阿富汗的旅途，反思人性，關懷社會。出生於 1952 年的奈良美智 是這麼形容自己出生與成長的年代：「那是一個每戶人家都有戰死親人 的時代。」而於 2002 年前往戰爭中的阿富汗旅行後更清楚向觀者遞出 他「反對戰爭」的想法。《距離戰爭 2000 光年》試圖喚起在全球政治 下，人們直面「反戰」的責任。 2001 年，村上隆曾公開評論，奈良所

NO ONE TRULY UNDERSTANDS LIFE, ONE HAS TO FEEL IT YOSHITOMO NARA

174.5( 長 ) x 60.5( 寬 ) x 4.7( 厚 ) cm 羅芙奧台北 2022 秋拍「現代與當代藝術」編號 239

Yoshitomo NARA, TellMeWhy(AtoZ), 2006, marker pen, oil, wallpaper on door, 174.5(L) x 60.5(W) x 4.7(D) cm, Ravenel Autumn Auction 2022 Modern & Contemporary Art, lot 239

回思雕塑— 311 後的低潮與希望 「沒有人能真正參透生命的意義，我們要做的只是感受。」－奈良美智 2011 年 3 月 11 日，東日本大地震震擊了日本，也撼動了全世界。當時的奈良美 智對於來自日本地震災區的所產生虛無感與創傷也如海嘯般來襲，即便親身前往災區 賑災，在那之後半年依舊無法動筆畫畫。他跟隨了攝影大師荒木經惟摸索攝影，也慢 慢從像是有著土地的溫暖般的泥塑找回創作溫度。有別於 1990 年代所使用玻璃纖維 所製作光滑夢幻的大型雕塑創作， 2011 年開始奈良美智回歸手感的陶土雕塑，黏土 為沒有矯飾的天然材質，更使得他於泥塑過程找回與自己的對話。《雕塑的習作》為 原 13 件一組素描作品中的一件，有些繪於泥塑完成前，有些繪於泥塑製作完成之後， 為泥塑雕塑的草稿或素描，紀錄了當時奈良美智對於雕塑媒材的無限可能性。奈良嘗 試將畫作中表現的複雜情感、激發更深層的內在世界，轉移到更具體的媒材，後期的 立體雕塑有著他對於生命深刻的無常體悟。

在他的藝術創作裡，不論媒材，繪畫與雕塑互有特色、互相影響，持續精進。其 畫作《背後藏刀》於 2019 年以逾 7 億 7 千萬台幣打破了個人拍賣紀錄（ 1.95 億港幣 成交），而大型房屋裝置《柏林巴克， 1 號室》於 2021 年拍出逾 4 億 7 千萬台幣的 高價（ 1.2 億港幣成交），顯示奈良美智奠定的人氣經年不墜，他強勢的影響力跨越 國界，除了身受藏家喜愛，無數年輕藝術家亦受其風格影響。他不被框限的才情，這 位不願長大的藝術家，奈良美智正在持續記錄他精彩動人的生命經歷。

Yoshitomo Nara is considered as one of the most sought-after artists of the contemporary art market. His works bring about the feeling of loneliness and warmth in their simplistic compositions. The juxtaposition of child-like form and rebelliousness is intriguing in his works. With a poetic, rebellious and gentle personality, Nara loves creating his artwork whilst traveling when his memories of childhood were vivid, thereby incorporating his experience in his works.

"All of my works are reflections of myself. They are conversations with myself", Yoshitomo Nara.

As a lone artist, Yoshitomo Nara is well-acclaimed among the fashion, literary and pop culture scenes. He believes art is inspired by music while traveling constitutes a means to an end in a stage of life. Travel is a bridge of communication between the artist and the world. It leads him to explore unknowns in life. After two travels in Europe, the second time being a visit to documenta 8 in Kassel in 1987, Nara was faced with the empirical theories at school and the romantic discoveries in travels. Since then, he was determined to end his seven years of education in Nagoya and opted for German education.

Symbolistic Depiction: Children with Huge Heads

Loneliness is prevalent among travelers away from home. This large-scale representative work, Cup Kids, was completed in 1995, a significant year of Nara's career. That year was the turning point of his artistic career as his works were brought from Germany to SCAI The Bathhouse Gallery in Tokyo for his first solo exhibition "In the Deepest Puddle". It was also the time when his first gigantic dog sculpture received positive feedback from the art scene. Since then, similar subjects of glass fiber were

YOSHITOMO NARA TELL ME WHY

made and subjects on canvas were transformed into sculptures. In that same year, solo exhibitions at Blum & Poe Gallery in California, USA were held, bringing Nara closer to the international art platform.

Cup Kids is one of the seven components of the work. Children with big years were composed in a big coffee cup. Some with eyes closed and some opened. This shows the artist's awareness of subconsciousness which is the way the artist used in his journey of self-exploration. To a certain extent, this is equivalent to sleepwalk, as one shut itself from temptations. As the viewer experiences the solitude and tranquilness brought by the message of sleep and being awake, one travels into the dream of Nara, from a clamorous stage into a world of meditation. Children of Nara are reflections of the artist's emotional state and life experiences. They open the door towards self-meditation in tranquility. In 2000, Cup Kids was once considered as an exhibition highlight in an exhibition held at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. This highlights the significance of the work to the artist.

Milestone of the Public World

"My current works serve not only a tool of expression, but a bridge of emotion associated to the viewers", Yoshitomo Nara

Loneliness is the crux of figures featured in Nara's works. Having grown up in the cold Hirosaki, Aomori, Nara once said, "I was very lonely with only apple trees around me Nature is my own companion, so I will spend time with trees, dogs, pigs ⋯ Hence, I have developed a

special bond with Nature. A few years later, I realized that this is not a bad thing after all". With 12 years in Germany away from home, Nara experienced years of self-exile under a language barrier. He would compare the cold and dark Dusseldorf with Aomori. He claims that the years away from Japan encouraged his journey to self-exploration and rediscovery.

In September of 2002, Yoshitomo Nara went to Afghanistan with photographer Rinko Kawauchi to contribute to society while exploring the issue of human nature. He said, "This is the time when every family has a loved one sacrificed in a war". Since then, his works deliver a strong anti-war message. 2000 light years from the war brings the world's attention towards our responsibility to establish peace. In 2001, Takashi Murakami publicly commented Nara's art is influential with the ability to deliver messages outside the aesthetic quality of his art. Nara staged his works from loneliness towards hope in the form of internal revelation in both the making and the viewing of the works.

Autumn Auction 2022 Modern & Contemporary Art, lot 302

RIGHT: Yoshitomo Nara, For Kuro, 1992, acrylic and collage on paper, 56 x 41.7 cm, Ravenel Autumn Auction 2022 Modern & Contemporary Art, lot 301

In an exhibition named "A to Z" at a former warehouse in Aomori in 2006, Nara chose works from the 1990s that are previously exhibited on international platforms, direct from studio to the exhibition ground of 44 buildings. A total of 13,000 volunteers and the graf team were involved in putting up this exhibition. Such grand production scale was phenomenal as it was considered as a once in a lifetime experience by the artist. Tell Me Why (A to Z) was a spontaneous graffiti at the door of a washroom in a local bar. It was created in 2006, the occasion where Nara revisited his childhood town. As "A to Z" reconnects with the public, the juxtaposition of child-like and rebellious girl associates with a fight against negativity of the world, hence this constitutes to the form of art in his later stage of the career.

Art of Ponder: Despair and Hope of Post-311

"No one truly understands life, one has to feel it", Yoshitomo Nara

On 11th March 2011, Japan was hit severely by an earthquake. The severity shook the world. In the aftermath of this hazard, Nara helped with the settlement, yet the shock was so immense that he couldn't produce any works for half a year. Along with Nobuyoshi Araki, he explored photography and slowly recovered through the touch of clay. In contrast with the smooth sculptures made with glass fiber, the clay that Nara used since 2011 is austere and rough in texture. Such austere nature engages a private conversation with himself. Sketches for the Sculpture is formed by a lot of thirteen sketches, some of them were

done in various times at the production of a clay work. They capture the myriad possibilities of Nara's sculptures as he tried to consolidate complex feelings through his internal struggles into a sculptural form. By his later artistic career, Nara's sculptures carry a strong message from his reflection towards life.

Regardless of the media, Nara's works are unique in their own way and become more refined towards his mature stage. Knife Behind Back fetched NT$770 million (HK$195 million) in 2019, breaking the artist's record at auction. Berlin Barack, Room 1 sold for NT$470 million (HK$120 million) in 2021, showing the long-lasting fame of the artist around the globe. Being well-loved by collectors, Nara's works also influence the style of the younger generation of artists. As a rebellious artist towards boundaries of life, Yoshitomo Nara is a child-like artist who lives to document his life experiences into intriguing works of art.

Nara, Autograph, 1999, marker pen on paper, 18 x 14 cm Ravenel Autumn Auction 2022 Modern & Contemporary Art, lot 297

利藝術空間，創辦人鍾情於直覺的審美，他持續擴展其收藏，並慷慨地

與群眾分享他的成果，贏得稱許。薩利納斯鹽倉基金會的策展人阿爾貝

多．奇訶巴爾（ Alberto Chehebar ），同時也是一位傑出的當代藝術收

藏者，他一直希望為他們的機構尋找一位西班牙畫家。拉法．馬卡龍， 一位熱情而有才華的藝術家，成為他們的首選。

基金會創辦人里奧．馬爾卡（ Lio Malca ）也說明他的觀點：「一 開始我對於拉法的作品就感到無比興奮。在我看來，他的形象是從胡 安．米羅（ Joan Miró ）的星座宇宙，和曼努埃爾．H ．蒙波（ Manuel H. Mompó ）的美好風景中誕生的。我知道拉法是西班牙繪畫重要傳統的 繼承者，個人深感敬佩，直覺相信他會為其藝術承繼賦予正義。很快能 想像拉法在薩利納斯鹽倉的周圍創作，松樹、地中海濱間的拉法作品， 融入伊比薩島的景觀，成為不可分割的一部分。日出、海灘與人群生活， 而夏天我們在圍繞建築物旁的自然公園裡，擁抱溫暖日落，一同禮讚他 的畫作與他的到來。我相信拉法和薩利納斯鹽倉能相得益彰。」

幾世代的藝術基因 造就他的天賦異稟

拉法．馬卡龍（ Rafa Macarrón ），本名拉斐爾．馬卡龍．賈奎蒂

（ Rafael Macarrón Jaqueti ）。 1981 年出生於西班牙馬德里。他的血液 裡藏有幾個世代的藝術基因：父母親都是建築師，也是藝術的收藏家，

從小培養拉法欣賞美的事物，以批判的眼光面對作品；叔公里卡多．馬

卡龍（ Ricardo Macarrón, 1926-2004 ）曾是國王的御用畫師，為歐洲宮 廷和皇室繪畫肖像；而回溯到更久遠時期，拉法的曾祖父是藝廊老闆，

擁有一間修復師和雕刻家的工作坊。拉法自幼顯露出藝術的天分，成長 過程中經常跟隨父母參觀博物館及博覽會。他記得四歲時跟家人到巴黎 旅行，發現了巴布羅．畢卡索（ Pablo Picasso ）的作品，開啟人生不一 樣的風景。

1985 年，四歲時正值巴黎畢卡索美術館啟用元年，小小年紀的他 拿著筆記本和彩色筆，在展廳間或坐或躺一整個上午，與大師展開心靈 的交流。此後，拉法總是拿著一支鉛筆畫畫，作品從 A4 大小或四開的 紙張開始。對於畢卡索藝術的著迷，一直藏在他的內心深處，彷彿融入 血液一般。七歲時，他曾經畫過充滿色彩的圖畫，動物或從某個未知世 界走出的人物。

即將上大學時，前輩畫家胡安．巴喬拉（ Juan Barjola, 19192004 ）鼓勵拉法不要申請美術學院，因為潛力在自己的身上，要靠自己 發掘。於是學生時期馬卡龍先往別的領域發展，但是從未放棄過繪畫。 而高中畢業後，拉法．馬卡龍開始成為一名職業自行車手。身為運動選 手，必須保持紀律與耐力，忍受孤獨及體能磨耗的極度痛苦，他曾經獨 自騎上庇里牛斯山的圖馬列（ Tourmalet ）頂峰，挑戰身體的極限。馬 卡龍回憶著：騎在自行車上，與進入繪畫狀態的情境類似，他曾有八到 十個小時沒有停歇，但絲毫沒有察覺時間的流逝，因為一直處於專注的 流動狀態。而有紀律的鍛鍊即使當面對兩三米或四米的大畫布時，也無 所畏懼。 2006 年，馬卡龍年 25 歲，決定開始專心走向藝術家之路。成為職 業藝術家，不同於過去偶而地畫畫，他沒有回頭路只能拼命向前。此時 他的風格轉趨成熟。他可說是一位孜孜不倦、作畫速度很快的藝術家， 即使媒材繁多，但是完成一幅畫的時間不會超過一週，創作必須是自發 性的，像騎自行車的紀律，表現在作品之中。騎自行車時每天可騎上兩 百公里，身體的訓練能幫助他思考。他將運動的熱情轉移到繪畫上，完 美地融合一起。紀律讓他幾乎像僧侶一般，早上六點起床，前往馬德里 的拉斯羅薩斯（ Las Rozas ）小鎮的工作室，工作前先閱讀，然後畫畫。 他喜歡在早上光線好的時候開始畫，他坦言無法等到下午才做，每件創 作都是全心全力完成，真誠感動人心。

這些人物是誰呢？馬卡龍在畫自己生活中的訊息。在意志力的堅 持下，他的繪畫如同書寫著一本自傳，捕捉人間的種種情境。有些是自 身的寫照，童年的回憶，有些則取材生活周遭來往人物的縮影。他的

層紋理、人物群像形成深邃的奇幻宇宙。其間空間的構造、幻覺的實驗，

都有藝術家如遊戲一般地淋漓暢快的揮灑。他建構的多重空間裡，有的 如虛構的室內，有的如在泳池、沙灘邊，或是某個不知名的高峰、星球

之上，雲朵、雨水、高塔、長梯、飛行器⋯等等夢幻的元素。人物、動 物都有獨特個性，彼此間的互動、手勢的傳達、突出眼球的四處張望狀

他曾經獲得多個獎項： 2009 年，獲得皇家高級酒店國際繪畫競賽一等 獎（ Certamen Internacional de Pintura Royal Premier Hoteles, First Place Award ）； 2010 年以作品《尋求沉默，你會發現》（ Busca Silencio y You Will Find ）報名，一舉在第十五屆公報基金會青年繪畫大賽（ Certamen de Pintura Jóvenes pintutores Fundación Gaceta ）中，獲得第一名的成績（ First Place Award ）；以及 2010 年第 25 屆知名的 BMW 寶馬繪畫大賽，以作品《蚊 子三劍客》（ Los tres mosquiteros ）從七百位參賽者中脫穎而出，評審團 讚譽此為一幅形式主義、抒情和諷刺的畫作，獲頒首獎的榮譽； 2013 年時 參加拱之大展博覽會，榮選為最優秀藝術家獎（ ARCO Best Artist ）。 他的努力拚搏終於獲得肯定，在歐洲、美洲與亞洲都有畫廊與之合

Context Art Miami 藝術博覽會、邁阿密藝術博覽會 Art Miami 、莫斯科藝術博覽會 Art Moscow 、台北藝術博覽會 Art Taipei 、深圳藝術博覽會 Art Shenzhen 和上 海西岸藝術博覽會 West Bund Art 等等，因此收藏家分布各地。 目前他的作品公共收藏，包括西班牙的瑪麗亞．克里斯蒂娜．馬 薩維．彼得森基金會（ Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson ， 簡稱 FMCMP ）、寶馬基金會（ Fundación BMW ）、利奧哈的比凡科 基金會（ Fundación Vivanco, LA Rioja ）、華拉杜列的 Caja Campo, Valladolid 、托梅略索的聖女酒莊與油坊（ Virgen de las Viñas Cooperative, Tomelloso ）、 Colección 皮拉爾．西托勒收藏（ Colección Pilar Citoler ）、 梅爾卡多納收藏（ Colección Mercadona ）以及美國的哈德遜河谷當代藝術 中心（ Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill ）。其中不少 收藏機構是西班牙知名私人美術館、企業與酒莊公司所有。

1,560,000 Rafa Macarrón, Caos, 2020, mixed media on canvas, 188 x 143 cm Ravenel Spring Auction 2020 - Select: Modern & Contemporary Art, sold for USD 52,774

Alongside Javier Calleja and Edgar Plans, Rafa Macarrón is another world-renowned rising artist from Spain. As a self-taught artist, Macarrón likes to express surrealistic and dreamscape images through uniquely abstract and comical figures characterized by big heads, slim limbs, and brightly painted fingernails. The visually impactful composition, mechanics, and spatial arrangement in Macarrón's works are vividly impressive while conveying a sadly romantic and retro scientific sentiment.

First Retrospective Art Exhibition at Age 40

Despite a lack of formal training, Macarrón grew up in a family of art connoisseurs that cultivated him with the legacy of Spanish art culture and European modernism. At age almost 30, Macarrón won the 2010 BMW Painting Award in Spain. At age 40, Macarrón held his first museum exhibition titled Quince at the Contemporary Art Center of Malga in March 2021. Having been in the art industry for most of his life, Macarrón has finally set off on a successful art career around age 40. In April 2021, he launched Afternoon Delight at the newly established CVG Foundation in Beijing, China. That was the first time Macarrón debuted his exhibition at an art institution in Asia.

In July 2021, Macarrón was invited to host a solo exhibition at

the renowned art collector Lio Malca's Fundación La Nave Salinas in Ibiza, Spain. Founded in 2015, Fundación La Nave Salinas has not only hosted solo exhibitions for famous US street artists such as KAWS, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, but it has also featured installations and performances for video artists Bill Viola and Marco Brambilla. Macarrón was the first Spanish artist to put on a solo exhibition at Fundación La Nave Salinas. Titled El Bañista, the exhibition showcased 15 paintings and sculptures about Ibiza's signature summer and ocean landscapes. Located in an old-fashioned building, the foundation displays a chapellike divinity that highlights the contrast between the simple space and Macarrón's colorful paintings in creating a festive atmosphere of splendor.

Fundación La Nave Salinas is a non-profit art space refurbished from an old salt warehouse by the sea. While the founder continues to expand the collection based on his intuitive aesthetics, he is also commended for generously sharing the art collection with the general public. Meanwhile, Fundación La Nave Salinas's exhibition planner Alberto Chehebar is also an outstanding contemporary art collector who has always wanted to find a Spanish artist for their foundation. Macarrón is undoubtedly their top pick for a passionate and talented artist.

Lio Malca, the founder of Fundación La Nave Salinas explained his views on Macarrón's works, "I was excited about Rafa's work from the beginning. His images seemed to me to be born from the universe of constellations of Joan Miró and the optimistic landscapes of Manuel H. Mompó. I knew that Rafa was heir to an important tradition of Spanish painting that I personally admire, and I have the firm intuition that he will do a lot of justice to his artistic relay. I imagined very quickly the work of Rafa among the pine trees and the Mediterranean Sea that surround La Nave Salinas, being an organic and integral part of the landscape of Ibiza, celebrating the paintings also with his presence, the sunrise, the life of its beaches and people and, the warm sunsets that we have in summer in the natural park that surrounds the space. I am convinced that Rafa and La Nave Salinas de Ibiza are going to get along really well."

Innate Talents from Generations of Art DNA

Rafa Macarrón was born with the birth name Rafael Macarrón Jaqueti. Born in Madrid in 1981, Macarrón comes from a family of many generations of artists. Both of his parents were architects and art collectors who have taught Macarrón to appreciate art and look at artworks with a critical eye. His great-uncle Ricardo Macarrón (1926-2004) was a court painter for the King, drawing

portraits for European royalty. Dating back even further, Macarrón's great grandfather was an art gallery owner to a conservator and sculptor workshop. Macarrón demonstrated art talents at a young age when he visited museums and exhibitions with his parents. He recalls a family trip to Paris at age 4, where he became exposed to Pablo Picasso's works and has since embarked on a whole new journey.

The 4-year-old Macarrón visited the Picasso Museum in 1985, the year of its inauguration. The young Macarrón could sit or lay down in the exhibition room for the entire morning, connecting with the art master with sketchbooks and crayons in his hands. Since then, Macarrón has started sketching with a pencil on A4 or quarto size papers. The fascination by Picasso's art has planted a seed deep inside his heart. By age 7, Macarrón had drawn colorful sketches of animals or characters from imaginary worlds.

Before going to college, senior artist Juan Barjola (1919-2004) encouraged Macarrón not to apply for art school because his potential can be uncovered from within. Hence Macarrón went after other pursuits first but never did he give up on painting. Upon high school graduation, he became a professional cyclist who must be disciplined and enduring amid loneliness and the agony of physical consumption. Once he had cycled up the peak of Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees alone in challenging his physical limit. During this process, Macarrón found bike riding and painting to share a lot in common, as he worked non-stop for 8 to 10 hours in a highly focused state without feeling the lapse of time. Such disciplined training has enabled him to be fearless even in the face of 2-4 meter large canvases.

In 2006, the 25-year-old Macarrón decided to become a fulltime artist. Unlike painting as a hobby, there is no turning back on the path of a professional artist. By this time, Macarrón had gradually developed a more sophisticated art style. His diligence and painting speed enabled him to complete a single painting within one week despite using a complex mix of media. Creation is a voluntary process whereby discipline can be reflected in the artworks as it does in bike-riding. Macarrón used to ride 200km on a bike every day because physical exercise can help him think. He has applied this passion to painting and perfectly blended them together. Like a monk, he is disciplined to get up at 6am every morning and travel to his studio in Las Rozas, Madrid where he would do some reading before painting. He likes to paint under morning sunshine because he cannot wait until the afternoon. Every piece of work is created wholeheartedly, genuinely, and affectionately.

Macarrón's Universe Munditos Characters

In terms of character expression, Macarrón has greatly benefited from his experience as a physiotherapist and knowledge about anatomy, human physiology and sports. His parents and siblings' profession as architects has led him to pay attention to image structure. He tests out characters through deformation, creating characters with different souls in an expressionist way. Looking magical and surreal in their own worlds, these lonely characters are exactly what make up Macarrón's Universe.

What are these characters? Macarrón extracts information from everyday life and puts them into his paintings. Under his willpower, the paintings are a compilation of his autobiography that captures all aspects of life–including self experiences, childhood memories, and daily observations. With unique character styles and an impressive atmosphere, Macarrón's contemporary group portraits are reminiscent of the works by classic art masters Jheronimus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel.

By integrating the historical traditions of European figurative art, Macarrón's paintings reflect a mix of influences such as Surrealism from Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Matta, art brut from Dubuffet, as well as Spanish comics and art of the 50s and 60s.

In response to an interview question about his art inspirations, Macarrón answered, "I have had a very direct relationship with the Spanish painting, I have practically grown up in the Prado Museum,

the best art gallery in the world. I am very proud to be part of Spanish painting tradition. Goya's black paintings have always moved me. Goya is the best painter in the world; and of course Las Meninas by Velázquez, which I consider the best work. But it all started with Picasso. I fell in love with his work in Paris, in his museum. I was four years old and, from that precise moment, I haven't stopped drawing."

Born after the 1980s, Macarrón has not been directly influenced by comics and pop art like other members of Generation Y. Instead, he indulges in the historical traditions of Western art as well as surrealistic imaginations and straightforward expression styles. According to Macarrón, "My characters don't go towards the caricature. I flee away from all kinds of cartoonish ornamentation. They are born from a fantastic, surreal, and expressionist figuration. I consider them hybrid characters that are closely related to my admiration for Dubuffet, Bonifacio, and Alfonso Fraile. My characters live in a transcended daily life, clean days, sunsets, and fresh air." ◀ 迪亞哥．維拉斯蓋茲《宮女》 1656 年 油彩 畫布 318 x 276 cm Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656, oil on canvas, 318 x 276 cm ▼ 拉法．馬卡龍《狗 IV 》 2021 年 銅雕 68 x 367 x 96 cm 馬拉加當代藝術中心

Rafa Macarrón, Perro IV, 2021, bronze, 68 x 367 x 96 cm @CAC Malaga

Ingenuine Transitions between 2D and 3D Spaces

The artist created a variety of characters that constantly evolved over the years, finally reaching their unique styles today. Their regeneration demonstrates the hope for new life through elongated or enlarged heads and slim limbs. In particular, Macarrón's characters wear brightly colored nail polish regardless of their genders. The strange postures are truly fascinating. The artist recalls being inspired by a French woman he saw in Montparnasse Paris when he was five years old. The vivid impression has led him to paint all characters with vibrantly colored nail polish. Nail polish has been around in human history for thousands of years. It symbolized the upper class in ancient Egypt; it is known that Babylonian warriors wore black nail polish while some Chinese royalties also painted their nails. Today, it is a symbol for the universal value for men and women to look pretty and charismatic in their own personal ways.

The depiction of hands is undoubtedly the most eye-catching element in Macarrón's paintings. The artist believes that humans express emotions through their eyes and hands. Hence the hands can be expressively drawn to attract viewers' attention. There is a saying in the art community that hands and dogs are the most difficult to draw because their spirits cannot be easily captured. Previously an athlete, Macarrón likes to challenge himself. Not only does he like to focus on characters' hands and postures, but he also enjoys working on animal themes and making dog sculptures. Some examples of dog sculptures include the bronze sculpture outside Fundación La Nave Salinas and the 2022 limited 30-piece edition copper

carvings of Fabiola and Indi in collaboration with the Dutch platform Avant Arte. More recently, Macarrón has debuted his horse -shaped copper carving at the Nino Mier gallery in Brussels.

Macarrón constructs 3D spaces or even dreamscapes in 2D paintings. He likes to experiment with image structures due to long years of influences from his parents and siblings in the architect profession. The 2D and 3D spaces construct a tension in the paintings that accentuates the slim characters from the images. This draws viewers closer to the magical spaces in the paintings.

Looking at Macarrón's 2019 large oil painting Diferente Mundo as an example, the artist used paper collage, acrylic paint, and other materials to create a square-shaped green space. The richly layered background colors and lightly coated paints symbolized an ethereal atmosphere that combined with well-textured group portraits to form a profoundly magical universe. The artist playfully experimented with the spatial structure and illusion. Some of the artist's multidimensional spaces resembled fictional rooms, while others look like swimming pools, beaches, unknown mountains, and planets with fantastical elements such as clouds, rainwater, towers, long stairs, and aircrafts. The interactions and gestures between unique characters and animals, and their puzzling eyes expressing tenderness, naivety, and desires are examples of Macarrón's depiction of smooth, magical, yet in-depth paintings from his personal experiences. As opposed to the barren pessimism of existentialism, these thought-provoking and self-reflective contemporary fable paintings are truly precious in our era.

Rafa Macarrón, Cambiando el universo universal, 2015, mixed media on aluminum, 146 x 280 cm Collection of Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson

Recognition by Art Organizations and International Markets

From sketching at age 4 to becoming a professional artist and holding the first solo exhibition at age 25, for over a decade Macarrón has applied the same amount of discipline to art as he did to professional cycling. He has continued attending art competitions and exhibitions in Spain and all over the world because he believes competitions can create momentum and bring useful advice from professional artists and art critics in the industry. Success is not a random process because it can only be achieved by being visible to other people. Unlike other Generation Y artists, Macarrón does does not strive for social media attention. He keeps a relatively low profile on social media, hoping to make gradual progress through the traditional and practical approach of attracting curators, critics, and galleries' attention for potential exhibition opportunities.

Macarrón has won many awards including the First Place Award at the 2009 Certamen Internacional de Pintura Royal Premier Hoteles. His 2010 artwork Busca Silencioy You Will Find received the First Place Award at the 15th Certamen de Pintura Jóvenes pintutores Fundación Gaceta, and Los tres Mosquiteros outcompeted 700 contestants at the 25th BMW Painting Award in 2010. The jury gave the painting First Place for combining Formalism with lyricism and satire. Macarrón was also named as ARCO's Best Artist in 2013.

All of Macarrón's dedication and efforts have finally paid off. Now he is collaborating with galleries across Europe, Americas, and Asia including ARCO in Madrid Spain, Zona Maco Contemporary Art Fair in Mexico, ArtBo in Bogota, Colombia, Context Art Miami and Art Miami in the US, Art Moscow, Art Taipei, Art Shenzhen, and West Bund Art in Shanghai. As a result, his artworks have been collected all over the world.

Currently, Macarrón's works are in the public collection of Spain's Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson (FMCMP), Fundación BMW, Fundación Vivanco, LA Rioja, Caja Campo, Valladolid, Virgen de las Viñas Cooperative, Tomelloso, Colección Pilar Citoler, Colección Mercadona, and Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill. Many of these collections are owned by famous Spanish private museums, enterprises, and wineries.

In collaboration with art galleries or organizations in Spain, US, Belgium, Taiwan, and China, Macarrón's have also briefly appeared in the second-hand market. In October 2017, a small size 10 oil painting was up for auction at Christie's Madrid and sold for only over two-thousand Euros. In the 2020 spring auction, a white oil painting slightly larger than size 120 was sold for NTD $1.56 million (USD $52,774), more than twice over the lower estimate. The rise of contemporary Spanish artists at that time had stimulated general buying. In October 2021, the diptych titled Rutina Fluor was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong for HKD $4.284 million (USD $550,352), bringing Macarrón's personal record to a whole new level. This painting currently sets the highest auction record for the artist. Other than Rutina Fluor, the other 19 paintings in the artist's top 20 auction records in the appendix of this article were all sold in 2022.

Now a father of four, Macarrón will continue to challenge himself. He perceives crisis as an essential part of art evolution because every artist needs to keep on reflecting and updating themselves. The confrontation against external cultures and social environments such as wars often lead great artists to create extraordinary works. Under current global issues and the art revolution in Spain, artists must keep going fearlessly. We look forward to seeing more colorful and fantastical artworks from Macarrón's universe as the talented and disciplined artist continues to work tirelessly on his journey of creation.

預估價 Estimate HK$500,000~700,000

成交價 Sold at US$550,352 HK$4,284,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港蘇富比 Sotheby's, Hong Kong October 9, 2021

預估價 Estimate HK$1,500,000~ 2,500,000

成交價 Sold at US$513,890 HK$4,032,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港蘇富比 Sotheby's, Hong Kong April 27, 2022

預估價 Estimate GBP 100,000~150,000

成交價 Sold at US$398,929 GBP 327,600

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦富藝斯 Phillips, London June 30, 2022

預估價 Estimate US$80,000~120,000

成交價 Sold at US$378,000 拍賣日期 Auction Date 紐約富藝斯 Phillips, New York May 18, 2022

預估價 Estimate HK$500,000~800,000

成交價 Sold at US$321,025 HK$2,520,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港佳士得 Christie's, Hong Kong May 26, 2022

預估價 Estimate

GBP 100,000~150,000

成交價 Sold at US$298,318 GBP 239,400

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦富藝斯 Phillips, London April 28, 2022

預估價 Estimate HK$200,000~400,000

成交價 Sold at US$272,895 HK$2,142,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港佳士得 Christie’s, Hong Kong May 27, 2022

預估價 Estimate

GBP 100,000~150,000

成交價 Sold at US$242,923 GBP 201,600

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦佳士得 Christie’s, London July 1, 2022

預估價 Estimate US$70,000~100,000

成交價 Sold at US$226,800 拍賣日期 Auction Date 紐約富藝斯 Phillips, New York May 19, 2022

預估價 Estimate US$60,000~80,000

成交價 Sold at US$189,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date

紐約富藝斯 Phillips, New York March 9, 2022

製表 ／ 謝依廷 Tina Hsieh （Update 2022.10.17; Source: Artprice.com, Sotheby's, Christie's, Phillips, Poly）

成交價 Sold at US$176,560 HK$1,386,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港富藝斯 Phillips, Hong Kong June 22, 2022

預估價 Estimate GBP 30,000~50,000

成交價 Sold at US$168,012 GBP 126,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦富藝斯 Phillips, London March 3, 2022

預估價 Estimate GBP 60,000~80,000

成交價 Sold at US$154,670 GBP 138,600

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦富藝斯 Phillips, London October 14, 2022

預估價 Estimate SGD180,000~280,000

成交價 Sold at US$144,627 SGD 201,600

拍賣日期 Auction Date 新加坡蘇富比 Sotheby's, Singapore August 28, 2022

預估價 Estimate GBP 70,000~100,000

成交價 Sold at US$134,409 GBP 100,800

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦蘇富比 Sotheby's, London March 3, 2022

預估價 Estimate

HK$800,000~1,600,000

成交價 Sold at US$129,958 HK$1,020,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港保利 Poly, Hong Kong March 31, 2019

預估價 Estimate HK$200,000~400,000

成交價 Sold at US$128,447 HK$1,008,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港佳士得 Christie's, Hong Kong (Online) June 28-July 7, 2022

預估價 Estimate

GBP 70,000~100,000

成交價 Sold at US$122,220 GBP 100,800

拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦富藝斯 Phillips, London June 29, 2022

預估價 Estimate GBP 50,000~70,000

成交價 Sold at US$109,371 GBP 81,900 拍賣日期 Auction Date 倫敦佳士得 Christie's, London March 2, 2022

預估價 Estimate HK$200,000~300,000

成交價 Sold at US$96,306 HK$756,000

拍賣日期 Auction Date 香港富藝斯 Phillips, Hong Kong June 21, 2022

Once an embodiment of the aristocratic spirit of Europe, "fine arts" were gradually taken on by the Bourgeoisie in the twentieth century. Although the art community underwent a reshuffling due to abstract art after World War II, a group of Interwar period-born artists from École des Beaux-Arts persisted in and enhanced "figurative art traditions'' by transforming their styles and passing on the legacy of their creative spirit to future generations. The concept of "elegance" may be vaguelydefined in the modern digital age, yet its significance and values are straightforwardly conveyed to young generations through these artists' works.

This group of artists from École des Beaux-Arts includes: André Brasilier (1929-); Paul Guiramand (1926-2007), René Genis (19222004), Guy Bardone (1927-2015), Jean Jansem (1920-2013), and Bernard Cathelin (1919-2004), all of whom had been taught by Maurice Brianchon. Influenced by Impressionism and Les Nabis, Brianchon remarkably interpreted French traditions by faithfully pursuing a life balance and incorporating "emotional memories'' into his paintings. Having directly passed on this creative philosophy to his students, this school of elite artists are characterized by similar creative styles in the early phases of their careers. By using traditional oil canvas as a medium, the artists mostly painted landscape stills in gentle, lyrical ways full of delightful cultural sentiments. In contrast to the popular abstract expressionism at the time, these artists integrated practical reasoning with traditional values to find a balance in the era of an innovative and far-reaching revolution.

These artists not only came from different parts of France, but some even grew up in overseas colonies. Hence the artists' varying personalities and environments led them to portray French elegance in distinctively unique styles. For example, Brasilier often featured light cavalry in his works because he owned forest manors and stables. Having grown up in Vietnam, Genis portrayed light-shadow variations of forests and stills in more three-dimensional, delicate ways. Bardone liked to

and paint natural landscapes during his trips, his warm personality instilled a ray of sunshine into his landscape paintings. Guiramand often presented musical elements such as instruments and music scores in his works to express his passion for classical music. Cathelin applied the concept of oriental aesthetics by enhancing traditional figures through empty spaces and simple styles. In the 1960s, the rise of post-war economy and communication technologies around the world had led art galleries to operate more openly and commercially. The export of Europe's fine culture to the rapidly developing economy and new society achieved enormous success in overseas markets, especially in the US and Japan. The artists were invited to display their works in the vast international market, expanding art media to prints, sculptures, ceramics, etc. In addition to commercial art galleries, the artists were also welcomed by art museums. In 2005, Brasilier was invited by Mikhaïl Piotrovski, the director of Russia's Hermitage Museum, to hold a large solo retrospective exhibition at the museum's Winter Palace. Bardone held retrospective exhibitions at Château de Chenonceau, nicknamed the Ladies' Chateau, in 1985 and 2005 respectively. As the values of art appreciation continue evolving to this modern day, these bourgeoisie artworks contain elegant, implicit temperaments that may provide different perspectives and imaginations for the modern pop-up, impactful, and mass-produced contemporary art collections.

Following the migration of the Republican government in 1949, the art scene of Taiwan was drastically transformed. A renowned collector

Evolution from Classics: Modern Flower and Bird Paintings of Yu Chung-lin

Huang Tian-cai once mentioned that year marks not only the political transformation, but that of Chinese ink paintings. The ink artists who relocated to Taiwan became the pillars of the contemporary Taiwanese ink art scene and a divergence from traditional ink paintings. As the three masters built the ink art scene, influences from Fifth Moon Group and Ton Fan Group contributed to the development. In terms of the traditional flower and bird genre, Yu Chung-lin (1925-1985) created his unique path in the art scene with relevance to the traditional elegance in his own unique style. His styles could be traced back to the Jing school, the Song school and scholarly styles of Ming and Qing. There are hints of Lingnan school, Japanese glue-pigment application and personal skills and a blend of traditional and western skills carefully incorporated. Hence, his works were deemed as unique in the modern ink art scene.

「觀其設色明麗，風致天然，繁而能簡，艷而能清，曲盡化工之妙若非天資高， 體物深，安足以至此。」— 臺靜農 喻仲林出生於山東冠縣，幼年時期便喜愛畫畫、展現出藝術天賦，喻母更是位刺 繡高手，能不作底稿刺繡，喻氏常隨母親左右、為其鉤描刺繡與剪紙的花樣。 1934 年喻母仙逝，喻仲林便往山東堂邑依附舅舅許以浩、許宗海，許家為山東世家望族， 也是著名的書香門第，所藏書畫名蹟頗豐，十舅許宗海在當時更是位富有盛名的寫意 花鳥畫家。喻仲林雖無正式拜師學畫，但於家學薰陶及十舅的影響下開始接觸、臨摹 惲壽平、任伯年的花鳥繪畫，日後習藝大成的喻氏，其所做的花鳥作品多題款南田詩 句，可見其幼年蒙受陶冶的痕跡。 1949 年，隨國民政府渡海來臺的喻仲林時任軍職，公暇之餘由藝術系學生張弘

家習畫、並拿出珍藏的古畫讓其臨摹；金勤伯的花鳥畫承自清六家工筆帶寫意的技 法，並得其叔金城授以《百鳥圖譜》，故其畫鳥獨出一格，喻仲林盡得金氏一脈真傳， 花鳥畫骨韻兼備，又因他重寫生，這也讓臺灣工筆花鳥畫有別於中國畫壇如于非闇等 人的風格。喻氏二十七歲正式踏入水墨藝壇，經三年勤勉不懈的努力自成一家格局， 能人所不能，日日勤勉地過著點染揮毫的日子，時人更驚嘆其筆力造境青出於藍、不 遜於勤伯師筆意。喻仲林曾和其學生張克齊說：「專精一藝，才能出人頭地。」喻氏 捨山水人物、專攻花鳥的主因也在於他想證明宋人花鳥是否仍可追及並有所超越，並 以「人棄我取，為工筆保留一脈」為己任。隨著喻仲林畫名漸起，他與當時臺灣水墨 畫壇的名人如張大千、黃君璧與臺靜農等人展開了密切的往來交流，除親臨畫展給予 支持與肯定外，對於這位能承繼中國院體花鳥畫傳統的後輩又是金勤伯的高徒，張、 金二老惜才如金，不吝給予喻氏繪畫上的建議並拿出珍藏的書畫名蹟予以臨摹增益； 臺靜農更是時常出入其畫室，觀看喻仲林揮毫作畫，並為之篆印作序，愛才之心不言 而喻。 1958 年喻仲林由軍職退役、決心致力於畫業，初期為了家庭生存活計，接了許

Chung-lin, Peacocks on Crape Myrtle, 1978, Ink and colour on gold-coated paper, framed, 94.5 x 174 cm Ravenel 2022 Autumn Auction, US$ 23,700 - 38,000

x 67.5 cm

220,000 - 360,000 YU Chung-lin, Eagle Surveying the Terrain, 1966, Ink and colour on paper, framed, 136 x 67.5 cm Ravenel 2022 Autumn Auction, US$ 7,000 - 11,400

2022 秋拍

YU Chung-lin, Macaw on a Green Vine, 1978, Ink and colour on paper, framed, 92 x 61 cm

Ravenel 2022 Autumn Auction, US$ 6,000 - 9,500

麗水精舍，經典傳承

「他『觀物精微、體物有情、移情入物』，創作出的『有情花鳥』， 也實在超過古人。」— 劉墉

喻仲林、孫家勤與胡念祖同在師大學習水墨國畫，喻氏專攻花鳥、 孫君則著力人物、胡氏以山水見長， 1956 年於麗水街賃屋權為畫室， 臺靜農見他們因書畫相識而能結為忘年之交，便將此畫室命為「麗水精 舍」，勉其三人能於清靜雅潔的居所精勤畫藝。隨後麗水精舍聲名大振， 拜師學藝者甚多，遂成為課徒講學的藝塾，據麗水門人回憶，三人的學 生常常一起上課擠得水泄不通，屋內三位大師各據一桌、各自示範課稿 演示，這樣特殊的上課方式，習花鳥者也能聽到山水、人物的筆法精髓； 也因為三人常常互相觀摩彼此的畫作，見彼此增益而有了不肯落後對方 的拼勁，因而麗水精舍儼然成為當時臺灣最早也最有名的水墨沙龍且門 人無數，如：知名水墨藝術家劉墉、張克齊、知名作家瓊瑤夫婦等均出 於麗水精舍。隨後孫家勤拜大風堂門下前往巴西、胡念祖飛抵美國授課 講學，麗水精舍在台灣雖只剩喻仲林一人獨撐大局，但因其講學幽默風 趣、追隨日漸眾多，小小的畫室從早到晚人潮不斷，無論政府要員、藏 家藝友、影視名導明星等，都想親炙這位花鳥國畫大師的風采；此外喻 仲林隨著時代如何遷移都依舊在畫作上落款、用印「麗水精舍」，展現

是要表達自己， 不管別人如何。 」— 喻仲林 喻仲林作畫多用古法兼以寫生鉤勒及沒骨二法，而喻氏馳名藝壇 最為人樂道之處為「左手畫畫、右手寫字」，其勤苦練字是受臺靜農的 點撥，要他多臨被譽為明朝第一的文徵明小楷字，工麗的花鳥畫作輔以 精到細膩的小字更顯風格獨具。花鳥畫之由來是作為應物象形、性靈陶 冶的一種「無用之用」，古人云：「胸中元自有丘壑。」講究「行萬里 路，讀萬卷書」的寫生踏查，喻仲林對於寫生下過一番苦工，要先行格 物對畫畫的素材深入了解，久之便能得之於心、應之於手，喻仲林的女 兒回憶起父親到哪裡都可以寫生，最喜歡到南海路的植物園、指南宮或 是陽明山寫生，連到美國旅遊看到了老鷹標本也立刻拿出紙筆開始揣摩 素描；喻仲林一生畫遍八百多種花卉，更是養花蒔草的高手，曾在永和 家中的小院子搭花架種植紫薇、薔薇，繡球、山茶等花卉，是鄰里間著 名的「綠手指」，不僅作為寫生觀察之用，更對花鳥知識用功甚深。 喻仲林曾說：「工筆花鳥畫是個人的興趣。畫只看好壞，沒有題材、 形式的差別，沒有新舊。畫畫的前提是『為己』，不是『為人』。」正 因有此胸懷氣度，才能師古而非泥古不化，能格物師心，而無拘謹和自

66.5 x 128 cm 羅芙奧 2022 秋拍 台幣 200,000 - 340,000 YU Chung-lin, Rooster and Hen, 1981, Ink and colour on paper, framed, 66.5 x 128 cm Ravenel 2022 Autumn Auction, US$ 6,300 - 10,800

- 200,000

YU Chung-lin, Kingfisher Finds Interest in a Lotus Pond, 1978, Ink and colour on paper, framed, 92 x 61 cm

Ravenel 2022 Autumn Auction, US$ 4,100 - 6,300

THE BACKGROUND OF THE ARTIST

Tai Jing-nong once wrote, "The colours (of the works) are delightful and realistic. The work is intricately depicted in a simplistic composition. The astounding skills are the results of a highly talented artist with keen observation."

Yu Chung-lin was born in Shandong with a talent and interest in drawings early in his childhood. His mother was excellent in free-hand stitches. Yu followed his mom and sketched drawings for stitches. In 1934, following the passing of his mother, Yu lived with his uncles Hsu Yi-hao and Hsu Zong-hai in Shantongtang. The family was scholarly with a rich collection of paintings. His uncle Hsu Zong-hai was a renowned free-hand flower and bird painter. Even though Yu did not follow a tutor officially, under the influence of his uncle, he imitated the flower and bird paintings of Yun Shou-ping and Ren Bo-nian. This was also reflected by inscriptions of Nantian poems in his paintings.

In 1949, he followed the Republican government and relocated to Taiwan while serving in the army. With the suggestion of Chang Hong, Yu sat in the art classes at the National Taiwan Normal University and started practising with different media. His talent was recognized by Jin

Qin-bo, a gongbi flower and bird master. Hence, Yu started to follow Jin in practice at Jin's home. There he appreciated and imitated classical scrolls. Jin Qin-bo's techniques were derived from Qing gongbi schools and learnt the drawing of birds directly from his uncle Jin Cheng's scripts. Yu captured the skills of Jin and started creating his own style of gongbi and elegance. His keen observation allowed a great differentiation from those of comparable artists such as Yu Fei-an. Yu entered the ink art scene at the age of 27 with a unique and sophisticated style, after 3 years of intensive practice. His exceptional skills and unique styles astound contemporaries of the time. Yu mentioned to his student Chang Ke-qi that one has to specialise to excel in an area. Yu specialised in the flower and bird genre in Song style while giving up other genres such as landscapes and figure paintings. Hence he inherited the gongbi skills as his principal goal. With the rise of Yu's art, he became close to contemporary masters such as Zhang Da-qian, Huang Chun-pi and Tai Jing-nong, who gave him support in his art exhibitions. Zhang and Jin treasured Yu as a talent who passed on the tradition of flower and bird painting, so they willingly shared classical scrolls with Yu. Tai Jing-nong often visited Yu's studio and carved seals to Yu as an appreciation of his talents.

In 1958, Yu left the army and devoted his time to painting. In his early days, he designed carpets and matchboxes for commissioned works. As his paintings gained their fame, students started pouring into his studio and Yu taught in classes for a living. In 1958, he launched his first exhibition with Lishui Jingshe at Zhongshan Hall of Taipei. This marked the debut of Yu's career. His works were sought-after since then, with local exhibition invitations from institutions such as the Taiwan Museum, the Museum of History of Taiwan, Taitian gallery and Linyun gallery. He started exhibiting overseas with Hu Nianzu thrice in 1967, once at the Wailoa Center of the University of Hawaii in 1975 and in Japan in 1977. Yu Chung-lin gained his fame through his talents, as Tai Jing-nong mentioned, and became a prominent figure in gongbi flower and bird paintings in the Taiwanese art scene.

LISHUI JINGSHE AND THE TRADITIONS

"He observed his subjects closely with individual thoughts and granted emotions into the subjects, thereby creating interesting artworks that surpasses classical masters." -Liu Yong

Yu Chung-lin, Sun Jia-qin and Hu Nian-zu met at the university with Yu specialising in flower and birds, Sun in figure paintings, while Hu in landscapes. A studio was rented in Lishui street in 1956, and was named by Tai Jing-nong as Lishui Jingshe. The name was to be a reminder of hardwork and dedication in art. Since then, their fame grew and their studio was flooded with students. According to the students, the room was packed with three teachers each occupying a desk to demonstrate skills. This way, an exchange of skills in landscape, figure and flower and bird was encouraged. Students of this studio include Liu Yong, Chang

Ke-qi and author Chiung Yao and her husband. Following the departure of Sun Jia-qin to Brasil, and Hu Nian-zu to the US, Yu hosted the classes alone. Due to Yu's humorous character and talent, his students, from all walks of life, grew in numbers and the studio was packed day and night. Yu's paintings in all periods bear the seal of Lishui Jingshe, showing his commitment towards teaching and the importance of passing on traditional techniques.

Yu Chung-lin's ideology and styles could be summarized into the dedication towards the Song school, life observation and transformation from traditional skills. His flower and bird paintings are unique of the genre with a combination of gongbi and free-hand strokes. According to his family, Yu loved Yun Shou-ping and Run Bo-nian. After following masters, he further refined his skills by imitating classical works with special attention to the Song school and masters such as Huang Quan and Hsu Hsi. He followed the path of Song masters to paint through observation. He was a frequent visitor of the National Palace Museum to observe Song paintings. In terms of the content, Yu followed Qingteng Baiyang and Bada. In terms of life observation, Yu's techniques are refined as those of Giuseppe Castiglione (compare Peacock of the artist), Pu Hsin-yu and Qi Bai-shi. Such techniques were more refined with a more elegant composition later in his career. Hence he was regarded as one of the best representatives of flower and bird paintings unique from classical genres.

FLORA AND FAUNA OF YU CHUNG-LIN

"I have a distinctive appreciation towards flowers and birds. I am emotionally attached to them. As an artist, I express my emotions uniquely to myself."-Yu Chung-lin

Yu Chung-lin paints with classical technique with outline and boneless techniques. He was renowned for his practice of drawing with his left hand and writing with his right hand. His calligraphy was refined by Tai Jing-nong to follow the style of Wen Zheng-ming of the Ming dynasty. His calligraphy provided a perfect complement to his refined flower and bird paintings. Flower and bird paintings originated to resemble nature as a source of comfort to viewers. To achieve a realistic painting, Yu dedicated to painting through observation. He believed that it is only through such practice can the works reflect both the heart and the mind. Yu's daughters recall that his father carried a notebook for sketches wherever he went. His favourite places were the botanical park in Nanhai Road, Zhinan Temple and Yangmingshan. He once sketched hastily from an eagle specimen during a trip to the US. Throughout his lifetime, Yu must have drawn more than 800 species of flowers. He kept potted plants of wisteria, roses, hydrangeas and camellias with his "green fingers", as joked by his neighbours. His extensive knowledge of flora and fauna was crucial to his paintings.

Yu Chung-lin once said, "gongbi flower and bird paintings were his personal interest. Art would only be judged by techniques, forms and composition regardless of the time of production. Painting should be a pleasure of the artist and not conforming to others' judgment." This shows the artist's attitude towards referencing the classical paintings, and that art should be an enjoyment of the artist and his interpretations of nature. Through his dedication to advance his techniques, he could produce works that incorporate masters of Jing, Hu and Lingnan. His works were so elegant and refined that they were praised as a new branch of style in the genre. In this sale, Ravenel proudly presents a dedicated section of works from the artist's family, including highlight paintings Peacocks on Crape Myrtle (Lot 619), Eagle Surveying the Terrain (Lot 620), Rooster and Hen (Lot 621), Withering Lotus (Lot 613), Wisteria and Doves (Lot 618), Mynahs on Autumn Willow (Lot 622), Macaw on a Green Vine (Lot 617) and Kingfisher Finds Interest in a Lotus Pond (Lot 615). The sale includes a section of seals used by the artist, including one carved by Tai Jing-nong (Lot 627), commenting the works as elegant and noble. Also offered are seals of the studio Lishui Jingshe (Lot 625), seals by Wang Zhuang-wei (Lot 629 and Lot 628) and Tseng Shao-chieh (Lot 623). As Lu Shou-kun publicly mentioned, Yu adopted the Song school to his personal style, allowing him to be one of the greatest artists in the genre. With a strong conviction to refine and transform classical styles, Yu created his unique styles from imperial and scholarly paintings, thereby shaping the development of the genre in history.

FLOWER AND BIRD PAINTINGS OF YU CHUNG-LIN AND BEYOND

Gongbi flower and bird paintings are highly sought after in the art market. Due to the complexity of production in terms of time, material and skills, the artist dedicated huge strength in his paintings. At the age of 27, Yu followed his teacher Jin Qin-bo and mastered the skills with exceptional talent. Nantian style was adopted along with the Jing school, Song school and the scholarly styles of Ming and Qing. Yu Chung-lin refined both free-hand and gongbi strokes and produced a combination that is intricate and complex. His works are collected by dedicated collectors and are rare in the market. After his works were offered by Sotheby's Hong Kong for HK$ 437,000 and HK$600,000, Peacocks was offered in Ravenel Taiwan and fetched an astonishing NT$1,680,000 in 2019, followed by Pheasants and Camellias at NT$1,200,000. This shows the exceptional quality of Yu's paintings and the promising results from the collectors' market. The distinguished collection from the artist's family offered in this sale provides an extremely rare occasion for collectors to see works of multifarious genres including eagle, peacock, flower and bird paintings and precious seals carved by renowned artists. Through this collection, one can appreciate the contribution of Yu Chung-lin towards the development of modern ink art in Taiwan, making him a crucial member of art history.

為調和，意外對橡木桶陳放多年後風味上的轉變大感驚喜，1919 年壽屋推出酒精濃度 37% 的 Torys ( トリス ) 威士忌，儘管以果 實酒為基礎的 Torys 就如今的規範來說無法被視為威士忌，不過 輕柔甜美的口感一上市即獲得市場好評。

儘管其後推出的瓶裝威士忌加蘇打水 Whistan 並未如預期 地受到歡迎，對市場脈動敏銳的鳥井信治郎從消費者對 Torys 和 Whistan 的反差反應，看到了「真正的威士忌」市場的存在可能。 然而，要生產真正的威士忌，除了需要各種蒸餾製酒設備，也需

The Origin of Japanese Domestic Whisky The Birth of the Yamazaki Distillery

The history of Japanese whisky is closely linked to the Yamazaki Distillery. To explore the Yamazaki distillery, it is necessary to mention Shinjiro Torii, who was born in 1876.

At the end of the 19th century, Japan was full of prosperity, fueled by the Meiji Restoration. At the age of 13, Shinjiro Torii came to work at Konishi Gisuke Shop, one of the first drugstores in Japan to sell imported liquor. In this rather fashionable and avant-garde shop, Shinjiro Torii was introduced to wine, whisky and other foreign liquors and developed a sensitivity to market changes. In 1899, Shinjiro Torii established his own business, the Torii Store, which was later renamed the Torii Shoten Store and became the predecessor of today's huge and valuable Suntory Group.

With many years of experience in selling liquor, Shinjiro Torii soon realized that although the market was flooded with foreign liquor, the drying sensation of wines and strong alcoholic of spirits were not really appreciated by Japanese nor actually selling well. Therefore, after a series of studies and trials, in 1907, the sweet and fruity "Akadama Sweet Wine" was launched to meet the sweet taste buds of the Japanese. Meanwhile, Shinjiro Torii also took a bold move in promoting and marketing, asking actress Matsushima Emiko to be photographed nude

in the advertisement. The launch of this port wine was a huge hit with consumers of all ages, soon captured over 60% of the Japanese wine market.

The success of Akadama Sweet Wine was no accident. It was then that Shinjiro Torii realized that simply introducing or educating consumers to get used to foreign liquor was not the best strategy in the market, and that creating something what Japanese consumer would desire for was what he wanted to do. More importantly, from his early twenties, he showed the vision of a modern entrepreneur and recognized the importance of marketing.

With the success of Akadama Sweet Wine, Shinjiro Torii confidently embarked on a venture into the realm of spirits. At first, the imitation spirits, made from edible alcohol with colors and spices, sold pretty well. Nevertheless, Shinjiro Torii was not satisfied; he began the experiment of adding alcohol to wine barrels and was surprised by the change of the flavor after years of aging in barrels. In 1919, Torii Shoten Store launched Torys, a 37% alcohol whisky. Although the fruit-based Torys cannot be considered a whisky by today's standards, its light sweet taste was highly received by the market.

Although the subsequent launch of Whistan, a soda-added whisky, was not as popular as expected, Shinjiro Torii, who was keenly aware of the trend of the market, saw the possibility of a market for "real whisky". However, the production of "real whisky" required not only distillation equipment but also experts in whisky making. It was at this time, Masataka Taketsuru, known as the father of Japanese whisky, returned to Japan in November of 1920.

Originally appreciated by the president of Settsu Shuzo, Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland in 1918 to learn the skill of making whisky. In 1919, he served as an apprentice at Longmorn Distillery. However, just as he was about to return to Japan, Japan was unfortunately in the state of economic depression that has put Settsu Shuzo's whisky making plan into an end. Masataka Taketsuru, who had a strong ambition, and Shinjiro Torii, who was actively developing real whisky in Japan, hit off immediately. The two signed a 10-year contract in June 1923 and promptly bought the land at the border of Kyoto and Osaka on October 1st the same year. After investing around two million yen over one year, the distiller of Yamazaki Distillery officially started to work at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 1924. The Japanese malt whisky was produced for the first time in a pot made in Japan, completely according to the handdrawn notes of Taketsuru.

However, the creation of the "real whisky" did not go smoothly. At the end of the production season in 1925, Shinjiro Torii sent Masataka Taketsuru back to Hazelburn Distillery in Scotland for further training. On the other side, as a business owner, Shinjiro Torii had to develop various products such as curry powder, tooth cleaning powder, soy sauce, pepper and tea leaves to support the huge expenses of the distillery during this period. In April 1929, notwithstanding, Yamazaki Distillery's first whisky "Suntory Whisky White" was launched. However, the strong smoky peated flavor did not arouse attention of the market as they had expected. The performance of sales was so poor that Shinjiro Torii was convinced that Japanese market was not yet ready to accept the authentic Scottish flavor they tried to mimic and create; thus, he has made up his mind to develop a whisky that suits Japanese. This ran counter to the philosophy of Taketsuru, which was loyal to Scottish flavors. In 1934, at the end of the ten-year contract, Taketsuru left Torii Shoten Store and established Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido. In July of the same year, Dai Nippon Kaju Co., Ltd. was established. The separation of Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru created the two giants that each dominate half of Japanese whisky today - Suntory and Nikka Whisky. It was also this split and the different interpretations and perspectives that make Japanese whisky today diverse and unique.

In 1937, "Kakubin," which occupies an important position in the history of Japanese whisky, was launched. More than ten years of aging in oak barrels have brought the spirit a rich deep aroma and an elegant taste. At that time, there were around 1,300 bars in Tokyo. The launch of "Kakubin"received an unprecedented success. However, Shinjiro Torii's search of the "real whisky" did not stop there. Neither did World War II and the post-war chaos of the market stop him from keep creating the Japanese whisky that would embrace the local flavor and rival the Scotch whisky.

Keizo Saji also inherited his father's beliefs and business management practices, believing that the Torii Shoten Store sold not only products but also the "contemporary lifestyle of the product." While taking care of the quality of the products, the power of marketing was used to make the brand deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In mid-1950s, the Torii Shoten Store opened more than 35,000 branded bars throughout Japan to promote Torys and Suntory. In 1956, the magazine Yoshu Tengoku (The Heaven of Foreign Wine) was launched as propaganda. In 1961, the "Drink Torys, Travel to Hawaii" advertising campaign was launched, which precisely captured the desire of everyone's pursuing for a better life deep down in the heart.

Furthermore, Keizo Saji teamed up with studied the structure of the Japanese taste buds together with the company's first chief winemaker, Inui Sato. Based on the findings of this report, Shinjiro Torii launched the "Suntory Royal" in May 1960. Royal was named because Shinjiro Torii believed that it was the ultimate perfection he sought, embracing the Japanese understanding of deliciousness and all expectations, reflecting the Torii Shoten Store officially made domestic whisky that is on par with imported whisky. Finally realizing his dream, Shinjiro Torii handed over the management of the Torii Shoten Store to his son Keizo Saji in 1961. In 1967, the Torii Shoten Store was officially renamed Suntory Holdings Limited.

In June 1971, the Japanese government announced the adoption of external economic measures, and it was expected that if the domestic whisky could not make a breakthrough in quality, it would no longer have a competitive advantage. Therefore, Suntory built Hakushu Distillery in 1972 to provide the group with more elements for blended whisky.

The Birth of Single Malt Whisky

The year 1984 was crucial for Yamazaki Distillery. In spite of the suppression of foreign spirits under free trade which resulted in a significant reduction in import tariffs, and the white spirit boom in Europe and the U.S. that suddenly makes shochu so popular. Suntory,

celebrating the 60th anniversary of Yamazaki Distillery in that year, still decided to launch a single malt whisky. After spending more than two years in research and development with chief blender Inui Sato, the confident Keizo Saji named this single malt whisky after the distillery's name, "Yamazaki." When it was launched in March 1984, the age of the whisky was not indicated on the label. It was not until 1986 that it was officially changed to "Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 12 Years Old." The birth of single malt whisky marked a major breakthrough in Japanese domestic whisky. The breakthrough, which now seems remarkable, was based only on the distillery's insistence on its ideals. On one hand, due to the shrinking domestic market for whisky as a result of the Japanese government's unfriendly taxation system for whisky, the overall consumption of domestic whisky had fallen to one-third of its 1983 level in 2001. On the other hand, Japanese consumers still preferred the soft and smooth low-priced whisky to the more full-bodied single malt whisky that are richer and stronger at that time. However, despite the fact that single malt whisky accounted only for a very small percentage of overall sales, Suntory continued to creep forward on the path of single malt whisky, in line with Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands." In addition to "Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 12 Years Old," "Yamazaki 18 Years Old," "Yamazaki 10 Years Old," and "Yamazaki 25 Years Old," were successively launched from 1992 to 1998.

International Recognition

Fortunately, "Yoichi 10 Years Old" and "Hibiki 21 Years Old" were voted first and second in the overall category in the "Best of the Best" blind tasting competition held for the first time by Whisky Magazine in 2001. The following year, in 2003, "Yamazaki 12 Years Old" won the Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC).

In 2005, "Yamazaki 18 Years Old" won the double gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2006, "Yamazaki 18 Years Old" won the Trophy (first prize) at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The international awards have brought Japanese whisky to the attention of whisky lovers around the world. Not only blended whisky but also Japanese single malt whisky became recognized and praised by the whole world. Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands" finally realized, receiving applause from all over the world.

Under the firm belief of Shinjiro Torii, the excellence of Japanese domestic whisky and the success of Suntory are no accident and no mere luck, but the Japanese people's pursuit of the ultimate workforce culture and continuous improvement of technology.

Wakon Y ō sai Unique Japanese Characteristics

The technology of Japanese whisky was basically inherited from Scotland. However, different terroir gives Japanese whisky a very different flavor from that of Scotch whisky.

The purest water - "Riky ū Spring," one of the 100 most famous waters in Japan

In 1923, when Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketori decided to join forces to build the first whisky distillery in Japan, the first key was to choose the location. There were two important points for Shinjiro Torii. Firstly, he wanted the distillery to be located not too far from the company's headquarters in the city so that it could be managed nearby; secondly, he believed that the quality of water is the most important thing that relates to the quality of whisky. He discovered that the water source of the area where Yamazaki Distillery is located today was the same place where the founder of Japanese Tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu, had established the Miyoikan tea house. The water here was also the"Riky Spring" later ranked by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 most famous waters in Japan. Afterwards, Dr. Moore, Scotland's leading winemaking authority, had been specially commissioned to investigate water quality. Dr. Moore's positive feedback gave Shinjiro Torii a boost of confidence.

Confidence in the quality of the water gives Yamazaki Distillery's products a pure yet sophisticated, subtle, elegant and unobtrusive character.

Local Adaptation One Distillery Worth a Hundred

In addition to the differences in terroir, compared with the Scotch distillery, which can swap between distilleries in Scotland to add layers

to the blended whisky, Yamazaki realized early that there were only a few distilleries and neither do they have much communications, each distillery had to produce its own variety of new make spirits in order to create its own richness of base spirit. To achieve this goal, whisky lovers who have visited Yamazaki Distillery know that Yamazaki is most famous for its eight pairs of distillers, all of which are different in size and shape.

｜ Fermentation ｜

The step of "fermentation" is particularly valued at the Yamazaki Distillery. Former chief blenders believe that the ester molecules produced by the fermentation step have a decisive impact on the final flavor of the whisky. In the selection and application of yeast alone, the Suntory Group has set up a yeast research laboratory to develop more than 3,000 different types of yeast. Regarding the material of the fermentation tanks, eight of the seventeen fermentation tanks of the Yamazaki Distillery are made of Douglas fir wood. Although it is more difficult to control the temperature and humidity than the other nine stainless steel tanks, they allow the lactic acid bacteria to develop more fully, resulting in more complex aromatic molecules.

｜ Distillation ｜

Next, in the "distillation" step, which is equally important for flavor, the Yamazaki Distillery has a total of 16 stills, in which eight liquor stills are heated by direct gas fire, and other eight spirits stills are heated indirectly using steam coils or steam tanks. Each still has a different length and angle of the Lynn arm. Two of the stills are condensed in the traditional worm tubs that is mostly replaced even in Scotland. The pipelines of the sixteen stills can be mixed and matched to produce a variety of new make with different personalities in different combinations. ｜

Oak Barrels ｜

Shinjiro Torii believed oak aging is the one key that brings the flavor to a whisky. He hoped that one day Japan would not have to be limited by oak barrels sourcing from oversea. Therefore, in 1934, Genj Tateyama was hired as the Suntory's first barrel maker. He lived up to Shinjiro Torii's trust by developing his own barrel-making techniques, passed on to his children and grandchildren. His grandson, Ryuichi Tateyama, is currently the third-generation barrel maker of the Suntory Group.

Suntory has five main types of oak barrels: 180-liter American Barrel, 230-liter Hogshead barrels made of dismantled American Bourbon Barrel, 480-liter Puncheon barrels made of American white oak purchased in the United States being air-dried for at least three years, 480-liter Sherry Butt barrels purchased from the Jerez region of Spain, and Suntory's unique Mizunara barrels.

The Sherry Butt was the first oak barrel to be used for Suntory whisky. Suntory believes that the type and quality of the wood is the key to the flavor of the oak barrel maturation. Therefore, the team visits the sherry winery in Jerez and the woods where the plants came from in northern Spain every year. The team personally selects the trees and confirms that the felled wood has undergone three years of natural drying and over three years of sherry wine aging.

The development and use of Mizunara was the result of Suntory's creativity to adapt to local conditions. The outbreak of World War II in 1941 has made import of oak barrels difficult. In addition to developing the use of North American oak and American Barrel, Japanese distilleries began to actively seeking for indigenous woods for use. Mizunara Oak from Hokkaido that mainly used for high quality furniture, was then selected. Mizunara Oak grows slowly, less than 200 barrels could be made per year. At the same time, its hardness and large capillaries make barrel making more difficult. Moreover, in both the 1960s and 1970s,

Yamazaki Distillery's successive chief blenders were concerned about the overpowering aroma of Mizunara. However, the brave collision finally bore fruit in the 1980s. The unpopular strong aromas have been settled over time, resulting in the linear aroma of a Japanese shrine and a round and delicate body that is unimaginable and inimitable in the Western world.

｜ Chief Blender ｜

The distilleries in Scotland have their own basic core flavor profiles, and the process is essentially fixed from fermentation, distillation, to barreling. What most scottish chief blenders or the master blenders have to do is to decide which barrels of whisky should be blended into which core products and which should be aged longer in the warehouse. However, to the chief blender of Yamazaki, his job is not only in the blending but also the process of making the spirits such as which fermentation yeast and which combinations of distillation. Chief blender's decision influence the style and characteristics of the whole distillery.

From fermentation to distillation, Suntory believes that only the perfection of every detail can produce whisky with the highest quality. However, behind the laboratory-like precision of Yamazaki Distillery lies the belief of the craftsmanship that respects the essence. Yamazaki Distillery's successive chief blenders have said that although the distillation process can be carefully controlled, the long period of time after the new make spirit being put into oak barrel is up until today mysterious and unpredictable. Sometimes it is as expected, more often than not, it is unexpected. Therefore, they respect every detail, every process, and every tradition. To them, the biggest joy came from the shining final products that took them years of patience to polished and created.

Shinji Fukuyo, the fourth generation chief blender, once said, "In New York, you eat Italian food made by Italians,. In Japan, you eat Italian food made by Japanese. That's the difference of our culture. We want to make things our own, which is the most wonderful thing." It perfectly reflects Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands."

Combining the Japanese craftsmanship of pursuing excellence and strong marketing strategies, Yamazaki Distillery has spent a century forging a path of its own, creating a Japanese style that is unimaginable and impossibly replicated in the Western world; meanwhile, the Japanese spirit, along with the whisky, has been marketed all over the world.

In the United Kingdom, the ceremonies continued through days with mourning, yet not without glorious memories, for Queen Elizabeth II fared well to this world, and left with her gracious shadows. In the worldwide live broadcast, politicians and dignities from all over the world came together. Among them, surely, stood her majesty's whole beloved family. As always, the jewelry worn by members of the royal family became the focus of the media. But at this day, all the accessorized details are not for the prying eyes, but to reveal the familial emotions and respect for the late matriarch: pearls are signs of mourning for the aristocrats; thistle would be the flower of Scotland where the Queen feels most at home; princesses wore elegant trinkets gifted by the Queen or loved and wore by herself; and there's Lady Louise Windsor, wearing a necklace of a silver horse, representing her shared love of the horse with the silver lady.

Most of the jewelry on the royal family members belong to the personal collection of Elizabeth II. Among the royal families in Europe, the one ruling England has the most complete collecting and inheriting system. Many famous items are kept in the family throughout generations, like the Lover's Knot tiara of Queen Mary, Sapphire Brooch of Queen Elizabeth, Sapphire engagement ring of Princess Diana, and the Emerald wedding ring of the spouse of Duke Windsor, etc.

For European Royal families, gemstones are not just riches to show. As global trade routes were carved out, diamonds from India and Emeralds from South America began to congregate rapidly in their collections. And by inheriting, every generation bestows upon the precious items a new meaning. Katherine the Great of Russia insisted to showcase the nation's power by jewelries, which made her giant collection on the top list in Europe; the love of the Queen Mary of England to collect and pass on her jewelries resulted in many world-famous items symbolizing love among her families; as for the Hope diamond in the collection of French royal family, it conveys an extraordinary journey from its producer in India all the way to Europe.

Apart from the private collections belonging to the families, the national power emerging all over Europe, as well as the state investment into many forms of Eastern India Company, regard the gemstones as crucial merchandise in international trade. And from 1530, after François I required a list built and followed for the national jewelries, the precious items became more than royal collection and started to represent sovereignty. Apart from trading were the gifting and releasing, all contributed to filling up the European royal coffers. We can make out some examples like the Cambridge emerald accessory given by India for Queen Mary for the crowning of Georges V; many among the royal families received crowns made from rubies by Myanmar; or the Steward Diamond, released and regained between the families in England and Holland, and finally embedded in a crown of the latter.

We should note that, the appreciation of aristocrats and rich merchants is not limited to the white diamonds, but also toward the colored ones. One of the biggest known pink diamonds "Williamson Pink Diamond'' would be among the wedding presents for Elizabeth II by Canadian scholar Williamson. Inherited by its name, the second biggest internally flawless vivid color pink diamond "Williamson Pink Star '' was sold recently at an auction of 57 million dollars. The luxury department

of Ravenel International Art Group points out that, according to reports by institutes like FCRF, the colored diamonds show their prominence in the auctions. The colored diamond index is ahead of many others in 2022, by climbing 0.8%, far better than Dow Jones at -11.3%; gold at -6.7%, and white diamond at -4.0%. Among their peers, categories like vivid intense diamonds 1 Karat (5.2%) and fancy cut 5 carats (6.3%) are the most brilliant of them all.

The royal jewelries, isolated from the general public in the old days, are gradually revealing their deep meanings shining through the lens of every media on every occasion. As hundreds of years pass by, the royal families in Europe never turn their grateful eyes away from the emeralds and diamonds, grooming them to be the principal elements of their collection and inheritance, while their appreciation of colored diamonds is far earlier than the interests of popular trade. The luxury department of Ravenel International Art Group suggests that it's the European royal houses of enormous treasure collections who led the world to appreciate the colored diamonds which hold themselves true in the market. By the appropriation and appreciation of these precious stones, people can also enter freely into the aristocratic world, and get hold of the most brilliant symbol of prosperity and heritage in one's own house.

Photo / Angela Moore

HAND IN HAND

受到 Val pusteria/Pustertal 青翠山谷獨特景致啟發，座落於義大利多洛米蒂 (Dolomites) 山脈 岩層上的一間旅館被改造成懸垂天地間的驚人之人作

Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus 高檔酒店。 這都要歸功於 Gasse 家族熱愛生活並且對建築及自然相互作用著迷的兒子 Christian ，於 2016 年聘請建築事務所 noa* （ network of 在 architecture ）操刀，以高於地面約 12 公尺，長達 25 公尺 漂浮於空中的「 Sky Poor 」懸臂式天際泳池，讓這裡成了享譽國際的標地之一。

Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus 酒店多年來一直在突破界限—無論是服務還是在建築上。 Hotel 進入新視野，閃耀著超越極限的建築傑作，就像它壯觀的天空泳池，漂浮在天地之間：呈現 上下顛倒和山形屋並置的「 Heaven & Hell 」水療中心「天堂與地獄」，一個顛覆健康概念的平台。

Met Museum/Vogue

28 億元以上，創下所 有女運動員總收入之最；而三歲拿球拍，早在不到兩歲，還待在嬰 兒車內就被姊姊大威廉絲推到球場上的小威廉絲，以整個人生都花 在網球場上，經歷剖腹、肺栓塞後，直接打大滿貫賽，也曾經在哺 乳期間，甚至產後憂鬱症時也從未間斷繼續上場所掙來的「品牌價 值」，相信會繼續在網球場外，保持最狂「吸金」的紀錄。