Shiy De-Jinn/Xi Dejin (1923-1981) Portrait of Col. Charles W. Delanoy, 1960 Oil on canvas 39-1/4 x 28-3/4 inches (99.7 x 73.0 cm) Signed and dated lower right: Shiy De JiNN / 1960 PROVENANCE: Private collection, Indian River Colony Club, Melbourne, Florida; Carole Burke Estate Sales, Melbourne, Florida; Private collection, Indialantic, Florida, acquired from the above, 2016. De-jinn Shiy, a Chinese Modernist artist, was celebrated for his skill in capturing the essence of Chinese art while blending it with Western influences, as well as for his bold bravery in openly embracing his sexuality. He skillfully rendered sacred sites, flowers, landscapes, and the people of Taiwan using ink, oil paint, and washed watercolors. In Portrait of Colonel Charles W. Delanoy, De-jinn depicts the longtime U.S. Air Force officer and Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (1953–1978) as a relaxed, uniformed figure turned toward the viewer, leaning on a bar top with a cigarette loosely smoking in his left hand. The rosy-cheeked colonel smiles with a soft, sentimental gaze—an expression often seen in De-jinn Shiy's figures. Loose brushwork softens the edges of the surrounding room, with the artist's focus intent on the outlined central figure, reminiscent of Chinese ink painting. Completed in 1960, Portrait of Colonel Charles W. Delanoy was originally commissioned along with a companion portrait of Colonel Delanoy's wife. De-jinn Shiy completed his formal art education at Hangzhou National College of Art and immigrated to Taiwan in 1948 to escape an arranged marriage. He spent three decades in Taiwan, captivated by the life and beauty of the island. In 1962, along with artist Liao Chi-chun, he was invited overseas by the United States, embarking on a three-year journey through much of the West. De-jinn Shiy passed away at the young age of 58, one year after his cancer diagnosis. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice