HONG KONG.- A treasure lost to the art world for half a century is poised to take centre stage this March. Sotheby’s is proud to present Sanyu’s Beijing Circus, a major rediscovery that provides important new evidence for scholars tracing Sanyu’s artistic development and his enduring international significance. Long held in a private American collection, the work was acquired by an American collector in 1976 from the estate sale of the influential Locksley Shea Gallery in Minneapolis and has remained with the same owner for nearly half a century. Newly documented beyond the 321 oil paintings currently recorded in the latest catalogue raisonné (Rita Wong, 2024), Beijing Circus is one of only three known inscribed oil paintings on this celebrated theme—and the largest among them ever to appear at auction, making it exceptional in scale and rarity. Unseen for 50 years, this painting will make its first public reappearance in Taipei from 14 -15 March before travelling to Hong Kong for exhibition at Sotheby’s Maison from 20–29 March, ahead of Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 29 March.

A Long-Lost Gem Rediscovered

The work was acquired by an American collector in 1976 at an estate sale held by the esteemed Locksley Shea Gallery in Minneapolis. The gallery, known as trailblazers in the contemporary art world, was a crucial Midwestern hub for rising talents in the 1960s and 70s, showcasing exhibitions that were attended by local socialites and artists such as Christo, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, and Robert Rauschenberg. Since the Beijing Circus painting was acquired, it has not appeared on the market since, marking a rare appearance in the art world.

The reemergence of Beijing Circus provides important new evidence for scholars tracing Sanyu’s artistic development, particularly during a pivotal chapter of his career in the United States between 1948 and 1950, when he briefly lived in New York and immersed himself in the American art scene. During this period, Sanyu attempted to promote a sport he invented – a hybrid of ping-pong and tennis often called “ping tennis” – enlisting the support of his friend, the photographer Robert Frank, who lodged him and helped showcase his work. At the same time, he was introduced to a circle of influential figures in the New York art world, including those who represented artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. While the sporting effort did not succeed, this period of exposure to American abstraction and avant- garde networks subtly informs the dynamic composition of Beijing Circus.

As such, the story of Beijing Circus offers a vital new chapter in the historical narrative of Sanyu’s brief but consequential journey in the United States, establishing concrete connections with the international art dealers he encountered abroad. This previously unexposed masterpiece suggests that Sanyu's developments in America may be more extensive than currently recognised; its remarkable provenance therefore serves as a crucial piece of evidence in positioning the artist's enduring international significance.

Intimate Meanings Behind Beijing Circus

Beijing Circus is a landmark postwar work and the largest known painting to appear at auction on the celebrated subject of the horse, anchored in Sanyu’s most personal motif. Distinguished by its exceptional scale and presence, the painting holds intimate meanings for the artist.

While Sanyu is perhaps best known for his sensual female nudes and calligraphic flora, Beijing Circus taps into a deeper representation of his emotions and nostalgia. The painting depicts a traditional Chinese folk entertainment scene, centred on acrobatics and horse performance, reflecting the cultural heritage of his youth. Against a bold blue background – rarely seen in Sanyu’s work – the contrasting warm and cool colors accentuate the purity symbolised by the white horse. For Sanyu, the horse carried intimate meanings: a family legacy shaped by his father, Chang Shufan —a renowned horse painter from Nanchong, Sichuan—and a personal association formed in Paris, where he affectionately nicknamed his wife, Marcelle Charlotte Guyot de la Hardrouyère “Ma” echoing the Chinese word for “horse.” Evolving into an autobiographical symbol over time, the horse reflects a quiet emblem of memory, longing, and solitude for the artist.

Sanyu rarely produced large-scale works, and Beijing Circus underscores the ambition and confidence he had at the time of its creation. There are only three known inscribed works on the Beijing Circus theme from the same era: one is housed in the National Museum of History in Taipei, and another titled Circus is in a private collection in Singapore, and the third is the present newly discovered work.