Yun Gee Chronology

Yun Gee, born Gee Wing Yun, changed his name to Yun Gee, referenced from a verse in The Nine Songs, Chu Ci, (476 BC–221 BC):

“The verdure by Yuan River evermore luxuriant, the orchids by Li River hauntingly fragrant.”

Yun Gee Chronology

1906: Born in Guangdong, China.

1921: Arrived in the U.S. Lived in San Francisco.

1925: Entered the California School of Fine Arts. Studied painting under Otis Oldfield.

1926

Formed the Chinese Revolutionary Artist’s Club, where he offered classes in advanced painting techniques and theory.

Co-found the Modern Gallery on Montgomery Street. Held a solo exhibition that garnered the attention of Prince and Princess Achille Murat.

1927

Moved to Paris under the patronage of Prince and Princess Achille Murat.

Became intimate with prominent members of the Parisian avant-garde.

First solo exhibition at Galerie Carmine in December. Completed painting Where Is My Mother.

Foray into Diamondism spotted in Princess Achille Murat.

1929

In February, painting Confucius exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, and was well received.

In June, solo exhibition at Galerie Bernheim-Jeune.

More Chinese themes and motifs involved in his work. Completed oil-on-silk paintings The Poetess and The Charm of Music.

1930

In February, married German-French poet Princess Paule de Reuss.

In the summer, returned to New York alone because of the Great Depression.

1931

In April, solo exhibition at In Tempo Gallery.

In June, exhibited in Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings by American and Foreign Artists at Brooklyn Museum.

1932

In April, paintings Wheels: Industrial New York, Merry-Go-Round, Sun Bathers, and Modern Apartment exhibited in Murals by American Painters and Photographers at MoMA.

Divorced German-French poet Princess Paule de Reuss.

1933: Founded the Modern Art Institute. Taught New Cubism, a precursor to Diamondism. Completed mural The Last Supper.

1934: Began research on Chinese traditional music, opera, and dance. Also performed.

1935

Met Helen Wimmer, 16, and fell in love.

Wimmer provided financial support during his three years in Europe.

Referred by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and joined the WPA Federal Art Project.

1936: Returned to Paris due to discrimination and limited exposure on the art scene in New York.

1937

Solo exhibition at the Galerie à la Reine Margot. Work collected by renowned dealer Ambroise Vollard.

Participated in group exhibition Peinture Nouvelle at Galerie Le Niveau, with artists Bonnard, Braque, and Dufy.

1938

Participated in group exhibition La Femme Vue Par Les Peintres at Galerie Le Niveau, with artists Picasso and Derain.

Portrait de Pierre Mille collected by Musee de Jeu de Paume (now Centre Pompidou).

Painting Harmonia Universelle (Lao-tzu Riding a Blue Ox) exhibited in L’Exposition du Prix Paul-Guillaume at Galerie Bernheim-Jeune.

1939

Exhibited extensively at galleries and salons. Painting André Salmon exhibited at Salon d’Éte: Peintures, Sculptures, Dessins, Aquarelles, Gouaches, Céramique at Galerie Carmine.

World War II broke out. Yun Gee returned to New York, and never returned to Paris before he passed away.

1941: Exhibited in Art for China, Ritz Tower Hotel, New York.

1942

Married Helen Wimmer.

Exhibited in the 8^th Annual Group Exhibition by American Artists, New York.

1943: Daughter Li-lan was born.

1944

Exhibited in Portrait of America at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Exhibited in Inter-Racial Art in New York.

1946: With the help of Yun Gee, Paule de Reuss began translating the Tao Te Ching into French.

1947: Solo exhibition organized by the China Institute in America.

1948: Solo exhibition at the Jersey City Museum.

1963: Passed away in New York.

International Art Events

1920s Surrealism was born.

1917 Fujita Tsuguharu garnered attention in the Parisian art circle after he first exhibited in Paris, which led to a lucrative decade for the artist.

1929 Museum of Modern Art in New York was founded.

In the late 1920s, Mexican Muralism reached its peak, with an overarching influence on Latin America and the U.S.

1931 Whitney Museum of American Art was founded.

1936 Exhibition Cubism and Abstract Art took place at MoMA, New York.

1937 The International Exposition took place in Paris.

1938 The International Exhibition of Surrealism took place in Paris.

1939 MoMA New York expanded.

1943 Jackson Pollock’s first solo show was held at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century museum-gallery in New York.

1962 Yves Klein passed away in Paris.

Chinese Artists Chronology

1901 Sanyu was born in a wealthy businessman’s family in Sichuan, China.

1917 Sanyu entered Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. (He enrolled under the birth year of 1895.)

1919 Sanyu went to Japan.

1920 Sponsored by his brother, Sanyu went to Paris, and studied at Académie de la Grande Chaumière.

1922 Wu Dayu went to France.

1927 Xu Beihong returned to China to teach.

1928 Pan Yuliang returned to China to teach.

The Hangzhou National Art Academy was founded. Lin Fengmian served as the first director. Wu Dayu served as the dean of Western Painting Department.

1929 Liu Haisu and Yan Shuilong went to France.

Sanyu exhibited his nude paintings at salons in Paris. His work was collected by Henri-Pierre Roché.

1931 Jue Lan Club was founded in Shanghai.

1932 Yang Sanlang went to France.

Li Chun-Shan went to Japan.

1935 Chu Teh-Chun and Zao Wou-Ki entered the Hangzhou National Art Academy.

1936 Li Chun-Shan returned to China to teach at the Hangzhou National Art Academy.

1937 Pan Yuliang went to France for the second time.

1938 The Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts was founded in Yan'an, Shaanxi.

Sanyu returned to Sichuan to inherit family estate, and returned to Paris in 1939.

1941 Zao Wou-Ki began teaching at the Hangzhou National Art Academy.

1944 The Independent Art Association was founded. Participants included Lin Fengmian, Pang Xunqin, Ding Yanyong, Li Chun-Shan, and Zhao Chunxiang.

1946 Xu Beihong served as the director of the Beiping National Art Academy.

1948 Sanyu went to New York for an exhibition at MoMA, and stayed for two years.

1962 Ho Kan and Li Yuan-Chia went to Italy.

1963 Hsia Yan went to Paris.

Huang Jilu arrived in France. He invited Sanyu to exhibit and teach in Taiwan.

1968 Sanyu passed away in Paris.

International Major Events

1924 The Immigration Act of 1924, including the Asian Exclusion Act, was enacted.

1927 Chinese Civil War broke out.

1929 The Great Depression followed a major fall in stock prices in the U.S., and led to a decade of economic gloom.

1931 Conflicts between China and Japan in Northeast China led to the Mukden Incident, and Second Sino-Japanese War followed.

1933 Antisemitic legislation was enacted under Hitler’s dictatorship.

1935 The U.S. initiated the WPA Federal Art Project, a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the country, the largest of the New Deal art projects.

1936 Spanish Civil War broke out.

1937 Japan invaded China.