Doctor Lucien Michon moved with his family to Shanghai in November 1948 to work as professor of medicine and chief of department at the Sainte Marie Hospital where he stayed until mid-1951. During this time, the couple took part in the vivid cultural scene and events the city had to offer. Through the intermediary of the Alliance Francaise in Shanghai and Mr and Mrs Mourot who directed the institution, they met Lin Fengmian who had just moved back to Shanghai. They visited Lin's studio and under his guidance, acquired View of Chongqing.

Lin Fengmian who was the director of Hangzhou Art College from 1928 until the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War had to flee to Chongqing at the beginning of the 1940s. There, he "did not join any social functions, and hid himself in a warehouse to paint" as Wu Guanzhong later testified. This new scenery opened an intense artistic period in Lin Fengmian's oeuvre who would be greatly inspired by the city and the Jialing River. View of Chongqing is a testimony of this period. Lin Fengmian masters the use of ink and knows how to use its five hues with a unique dexterity. The brisk and precise brushstrokes bring to light the rocky cliffs emerging from the riverbed that can be recognised in the left-blank part of the composition. Emptiness which is traditionally the element that reconcile the Yin and the Yang is here making a bridge between the steep mountains and the little village perched on the hilltop of the other riverbank. A few touches of colour and the interwoven lines are sufficient to give a unique vitality and perspective to this majestic landscape.

1 Wu Guanzhong, In Memory of My Teacher Lin Fengmian, Han Mo Magazine No 24.