Chen Yanning - The joy of being sisters

Although not an Old Master, this painting merits inclusion for the remarkable story it represents. Chen Yanning, born in China in 1945, forged an extraordinary international career, breaking cultural and artistic boundaries at a pivotal moment in contemporary art. Painted in New York in 1994, the work depicts two cheerful young sisters rendered with tenderness, immediacy, and warmth.
 
Chen Yanning enjoys an international reputation, with works exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, the Paris Salon, and other major institutions worldwide. Renowned for his hyperrealist style and his exceptional ability to capture likeness and character, he has painted numerous prominent figures. Among them are Queen Elizabeth II - whose official portrait, painted in 1999, was so warmly received that it was later chosen for a commemorative postage stamp marking the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 (photo below) - as well as Princess Anne for the University of London and the British actress Jane Asher.
 
Winner of the British National Portrait Award in 1991, Chen Yanning painted this joyful and tender double portrait three years later. Commissioned in New York, it exemplifies his ability to infuse his subjects with vitality and emotional presence, while also illustrating the breadth of his international success: a Chinese-born artist building a global reputation and bringing a distinctive sensitivity to subjects across cultures, affirming art’s power to weave human connection across rank, culture, and land.
 
Provenance;
The portrait was commissioned from Portraits Inc. on Park Avenue in NYC
Private collection USA
Private Collection Belgium
 
The canvas measures ca 32 by 25,5 inches and with the frame ca 39,5 by 33,5 inches.