Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)

signed in pinyin and Chinese; signed in pinyin, titled and dated 4.12.68 on the reverse

Private European Collection

Jean Laude, Zao Wou-Ki, La Connaissance, Bruxelles, 1974, p. 83
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, éditions Hier et Damain, Paris, 1978, plate 373, p. 295
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona, 1978, plate 373, p. 295
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 1979, plate 373, p. 295
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Cercle d’Art, Paris, 1986, plate 405, p. 335, illustrated in colour

This work is in very good condition. There are very minor accretions: one 10 cm from the right edge and 3 cm from the top edge; the other 15 cm from the left and 7 cm from the top edge of the work, presumably inherent to the artist's working method. There is no evidence of restoration under UV.
"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."

Dense mist amidst smoke and rain, A cadence of grace
Zao Wou-Ki's Poetry of Reminiscence ¿4.12.68

The end of the 1960s marked the first phase of Zao Wou-Ki's height in terms of international exposure as an artist. In addition to holding his personal exhibition at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1968, Zao's works had also been featured in the Painting in France 1900-1967 joint exhibition, which carried a unique significance. First and foremost, the exhibition presented the most representative French painters and their creative expressions in the history-dividing era from the perspective of art history. Artists featured in the event were all frontrunners in their respective schools of art movement, including Impressionism (Pierre Bonnard), Cubism (Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque), Fauvism (Henri Matisse), Abstract Expressionism (Pierre Soulages and Yves Klein) and etc. The inclusion of Zao in the list of masters was a statement of recognition and acknowledgement of Zao's artistic accomplishments bestowed by the French art circles. Secondly, the exhibition was sponsored by Ministère de la Culture (the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of France) and brought to eight major national museums and art academies (including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Art Institute of Chicago) as a circuit exhibition. The unprecedented scale of the event brought Zao great fame in North America and drove his reputation to the pinnacle of his artistic career even though he remained physically in Europe's "City of Art". But during the same year, back in Zao's homeland of China, the Cultural Revolution ravaged. Zao's father, whom had shared a close bond with Zao since his childhood and supported his works and artistic ideals, passed away amidst factional struggles. Coupled with the illness that befell on his wife (Chan May Kan) at the time, there was no doubt that Zao had been battling with tumultuous emotions in his inner world during the period. And painting was Zao's means of steadying his strides in his inner world that was on the brink of falling apart.

Instilling emotions into brushstrokes of lasting sentiments
Renowned Chinese essayist and acquaintance of Zao, Yu Feng once noted, "Zao's works are closely connected to the experiences of his life. They function like a seismometer that duly captured the most important events in his life; the impacts of secrecy; his response to all things in the outside world; his joys; his sorrows; his loathing and his desire for serenity." Like a diary, Zao's works faithfully reflected the world of his existence. The piece 4.12.68, completed in December 1968, depicts a turning point in both Zao's state of mind and creative works.