- 17
ZAO WOU-KI | Untitled
Estimate
1,600,000 - 2,700,000 EUR
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Description
- Zao Wou-Ki
- Untitled
- signed, signed in Chinese and dated 58; signed and dated 1958 on the reverse
- oil on canvas
- 81 x 75 cm; 32 x 30 in.
- Executed in 1958.
Provenance
Galerie de France, Paris
Morgan Knott Collection, Dallas
Private collection, Dallas (acquired in 1995)
Morgan Knott Collection, Dallas
Private collection, Dallas (acquired in 1995)
Literature
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Barcelona, 1978, p. 281, no. 276, illustrated
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Barcelona, 1986, p. 321, no. 308, illustrated
Françoise Marquet-Zao, Yann Hendgen, Catalogue Raisonné des Peintures Zao wou-Ki, Volume I, 1935-1958, Paris, 2019, pp. 254, 326, illustrated in colour
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Barcelona, 1986, p. 321, no. 308, illustrated
Françoise Marquet-Zao, Yann Hendgen, Catalogue Raisonné des Peintures Zao wou-Ki, Volume I, 1935-1958, Paris, 2019, pp. 254, 326, illustrated in colour
Condition
The work is executed on its original canvas not relined. Light wear marks likely due to former framing are located along the upper and lower edges. there is a slight deformation to the upper left corner due to an imperfection to the stretcher. Under Ultra Violet light inspection, small in-paintings in each of the four corners fluoresce. This work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
After ten years of researches and experiments, Zao Wou-Ki made a major break-through. When renouncing figuration, he found his way to the great history of art: a universal yet deeply Chinese-rooted painting, abstract yet wonderfully organic, gestural yet richly detailed.
Arrived in Paris in April 1948, Zao Wou-Ki quickly made friends with the main representatives of the post-war avant-gardes, who, like him, lived in the Montparnasse district of Paris. Henri Michaux taught him the incantatory power of painting; Pierre Soulages, Sam Francis, Hans Hartung and Jean-Paul Riopelle, abstract expressionism. For the first time the artist got a glimpse of the inner landscapes he hold within.
Progressively, between 1953 and 1958, Zao Wou-Ki's paintings displayed the signs of what some have likened to "cursive writing", allowing him to go beyond the wall of "appearances" to quote art historian Jean Leymarie. In those years, the artist forged a unique pictorial language that stretched beyond the figurative space without abandoning the signifier, as if still clinging to a necessity for meaning.
With its opalescent light, its bister color and organic palette, and the abundance of details at the center of the composition from which the painting draws its incredible depth, Sans Titre is testament to an exceptional artistic journey that reconciled two fundamentally opposed traditions.
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Fondation Zao Wou-Ki. The work will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné currently being prepared by Françoise Marquet and Yann Hendgen. It is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Fondation Zao Wou-Ki.
Arrived in Paris in April 1948, Zao Wou-Ki quickly made friends with the main representatives of the post-war avant-gardes, who, like him, lived in the Montparnasse district of Paris. Henri Michaux taught him the incantatory power of painting; Pierre Soulages, Sam Francis, Hans Hartung and Jean-Paul Riopelle, abstract expressionism. For the first time the artist got a glimpse of the inner landscapes he hold within.
Progressively, between 1953 and 1958, Zao Wou-Ki's paintings displayed the signs of what some have likened to "cursive writing", allowing him to go beyond the wall of "appearances" to quote art historian Jean Leymarie. In those years, the artist forged a unique pictorial language that stretched beyond the figurative space without abandoning the signifier, as if still clinging to a necessity for meaning.
With its opalescent light, its bister color and organic palette, and the abundance of details at the center of the composition from which the painting draws its incredible depth, Sans Titre is testament to an exceptional artistic journey that reconciled two fundamentally opposed traditions.
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Fondation Zao Wou-Ki. The work will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné currently being prepared by Françoise Marquet and Yann Hendgen. It is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Fondation Zao Wou-Ki.