Zao Wou-Ki

Galerie Jean-Louis Roque, Paris
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in the mid 1970s

Colour: The colours in the illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly deeper and richer, with the blue of the sky tending more towards a greyish-lavender blue and the greens tending more towards brown-green in the original. The catalogue illustration does not fully convey the subtle nuances of texture and coloured hues present in the original, particularly to the painted sky passage. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a very fine vertical hairline crack to the left hand side of the upper right quadrant. There is a minute spot of paint loss only visible upon close inspection beneath the first character of the signature on the extreme lower edge. The canvas appears to have been re-stretched and there is no evidence of restoration under ultraviolet light.
"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."

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist and dated 1978

"In the northern ocean there lives a huge fish that can take on the shape of a bird. When this bird takes flight, its wings spread over the sky like clouds. [...] What do we see up there in the blue? Is it herds of wild horses galloping? Is it a cloud of swirling dust? Is it the winds that breathe life into beings? And is that bly sky Heaven itself? Or is it simply the colour of remote infinity, in which Heaven, the personal being of the Annals and the Odes, lies hidden?" (The artist in conversation, Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, p. 40)