- 119
Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)
Estimate
8,000,000 - 12,000,000 HKD
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Description
- Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)
- 20.01.64
- oil on canvas
signed in Chinese and Pinyin; signed in Pinyin, titled and dated 20.1.64 on the reverse; Kootz Gallery, New York label affixed to the stretcher on the reverse
Provenance
Kootz Gallery, New York
Galeria Diprove, Lisbon
European Bank
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Galeria Diprove, Lisbon
European Bank
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Exhibited
New York, Kootz Gallery
Lisbon, Galeria Diprove, Zao Wou-Ki, 1974, pl. 2
Lisbon, Galeria Diprove, Zao Wou-Ki, 1974, pl. 2
Condition
This work is in good condition. There are scattered minor paint losses on the left and right edges. One can see some light craquelure in an area, about 20 cm in length, near the bottom edge. Close inspection reveals a very small abrasion, 3 cm to the bottom and 20 cm to the right edge. There is no evidence of restoration under UV 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."
"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
20.01.64 by Zao Wou-Ki
Colours ignited by flame
In 1960, at the onset of a decade in which Zao rose to international fame, the French artist Alfred Manessier, who won multiple major awards at the Venice Biennale, offered the following praise: "I am truly happy to say that this person is very different. The world, the race, the landscape, the light in his heart are all unknown to me, but something I know and recognize in his work touches me. His paintings are beautiful. They surpass the practice of skill, and are more truthful than before."
Zao's abstract style incorporates a poignant combination of authentic emotions and diverse tones that allowed him to transcend international boundaries and stir up Eastern and Western art circles. He won the favour of two major galleries, the Galerie de France in Paris and the Kootz Gallery in New York, and over the course of numerous solo exhibitions, he evolved from "an artist from China" to "a world-class master." This painting, 20.01.64 (Lot 119), is a representative work that was first collected by the owner of the renowned Kootz Gallery.
The Colours of Life
"My paintings are not literature, but rather, an arrangement of the images that are bound within my inner being."
Marc Chagall
In the 1960s, Zao Wou-Ki employed vivid, flame-like reds to create stunning paintings; 20.01.64 is an exemplary work from this period. In this painting, broad strokes of heavy red flow across the canvas like lava, creating a dynamic and intense tableau. This symbolic and powerful use of red is interwoven with black lines that conjure an explosive imminence. The remaining white space seems to defy the rules of gravity, manifesting a sense of freedom and liberation.
The red paint, which covers two-thirds of the canvas, demands visual attention like an open flame, and the rich layering reveals mesmerizing evidence of brushstrokes both forceful and tremulous. The scene evokes the Chinese legend of Nüwa, the mother of the earth, using the flames of Zhu Rong, the God of Fire, to repair the Wall of Heaven. Or, as the French critic Philippe Dagen once said, "When red is the dominant colour, a stronger visceral effect is unavoidable, in the same way that the flow of blood and the pulse of life is the most direct (and organic, or even cellular) expression of the self. Zao Wou-Ki expresses himself in the most brisk and direct way by turning his vitality into colour and pose ... he has completely cast off the contrived styles and techniques of his predecessors, as well as any doubts about quality."
Refining the quintessence of the diverse natural world
The lines in Zao Wou-Ki's work seem aimless at first glance, but when we carefully observe the way they come together, we discover the limitless breadth of emotions evoked and the accompanying associative space. As Chinese art collector and critic C.C. Wang once said, "In Chinese calligraphy and painting, brushwork implies intrinsic beauty, as well as a kind of descriptive, functional, or expressive beauty. We ask whether or not it can express meaning, which is another condition of beauty. But when we evaluate the brushwork itself according to Chinese aesthetics, its realistic, depictive capacity is secondary. The key is to see whether or not it reflects a mastery of the characteristics of individuality." Zao Wou-Ki achieved this mastery. His work shows us not only the intrinsic beauty of a line of colour, but also the refined physical quintessence he keenly observed in the natural world.
For more than 40 years, 20.01.64 has been perfectly preserved in major European private collections. It is now being released for the first time, providing collectors with the opportunity to acquire a masterpiece.
Colours ignited by flame
In 1960, at the onset of a decade in which Zao rose to international fame, the French artist Alfred Manessier, who won multiple major awards at the Venice Biennale, offered the following praise: "I am truly happy to say that this person is very different. The world, the race, the landscape, the light in his heart are all unknown to me, but something I know and recognize in his work touches me. His paintings are beautiful. They surpass the practice of skill, and are more truthful than before."
Zao's abstract style incorporates a poignant combination of authentic emotions and diverse tones that allowed him to transcend international boundaries and stir up Eastern and Western art circles. He won the favour of two major galleries, the Galerie de France in Paris and the Kootz Gallery in New York, and over the course of numerous solo exhibitions, he evolved from "an artist from China" to "a world-class master." This painting, 20.01.64 (Lot 119), is a representative work that was first collected by the owner of the renowned Kootz Gallery.
The Colours of Life
"My paintings are not literature, but rather, an arrangement of the images that are bound within my inner being."
Marc Chagall
In the 1960s, Zao Wou-Ki employed vivid, flame-like reds to create stunning paintings; 20.01.64 is an exemplary work from this period. In this painting, broad strokes of heavy red flow across the canvas like lava, creating a dynamic and intense tableau. This symbolic and powerful use of red is interwoven with black lines that conjure an explosive imminence. The remaining white space seems to defy the rules of gravity, manifesting a sense of freedom and liberation.
The red paint, which covers two-thirds of the canvas, demands visual attention like an open flame, and the rich layering reveals mesmerizing evidence of brushstrokes both forceful and tremulous. The scene evokes the Chinese legend of Nüwa, the mother of the earth, using the flames of Zhu Rong, the God of Fire, to repair the Wall of Heaven. Or, as the French critic Philippe Dagen once said, "When red is the dominant colour, a stronger visceral effect is unavoidable, in the same way that the flow of blood and the pulse of life is the most direct (and organic, or even cellular) expression of the self. Zao Wou-Ki expresses himself in the most brisk and direct way by turning his vitality into colour and pose ... he has completely cast off the contrived styles and techniques of his predecessors, as well as any doubts about quality."
Refining the quintessence of the diverse natural world
The lines in Zao Wou-Ki's work seem aimless at first glance, but when we carefully observe the way they come together, we discover the limitless breadth of emotions evoked and the accompanying associative space. As Chinese art collector and critic C.C. Wang once said, "In Chinese calligraphy and painting, brushwork implies intrinsic beauty, as well as a kind of descriptive, functional, or expressive beauty. We ask whether or not it can express meaning, which is another condition of beauty. But when we evaluate the brushwork itself according to Chinese aesthetics, its realistic, depictive capacity is secondary. The key is to see whether or not it reflects a mastery of the characteristics of individuality." Zao Wou-Ki achieved this mastery. His work shows us not only the intrinsic beauty of a line of colour, but also the refined physical quintessence he keenly observed in the natural world.
For more than 40 years, 20.01.64 has been perfectly preserved in major European private collections. It is now being released for the first time, providing collectors with the opportunity to acquire a masterpiece.