Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)

Galerie de France, Paris
Private French Collection
Thence by descent to the current owner from the above 

Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Poligrafa, Barcelona, Spain, 1978, pl. 137, p. 187
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Hier et Demain, Paris, France, 1978, pl. 137, p. 187
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Poligrafa, Barcelona, Spain, 1979, pl. 137, p. 187
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Rizzoli International Publications, New York, USA, 1979, pl. 137, p. 187
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Cercle d'Art, Paris, France, 1986, pl. 137, p. 187

This work is in overall very good condition. There are two very minor paint losses, one located 2.5 cm to the left and 18 cm to the bottom edges, and the other one 10 cm from the top edge and 25 cm to the right edges of the work, only visible under close examination. Under UV: there is no evidence of restoration.
"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."

"It is better to learn from Nature than from ancient masters; it is even better to learn from your own heart than from Nature."
Fan Kuan, Song Dynasty

Zao Wou-Ki's artistic career reached a pinnacle in the 1960s. In the late 1950s, he decided to abandon his previous artist achievements by forsaking figurative representation. Inspired by Chinese painting master Fan Kuan's axiom, Zao started to portrait things that are not even visible to the naked eye, such as qi (energy), winds, the power and physicality of life, as well as his own personal feelings, culminating in him producing a series of acclaimed abstract paintings in the 1960s. During that time, the artist's French agent Myriam Prévot from Galerie de France organized gallery and museum exhibitions in both France and abroad to raise Zao's international profile. Other celebrated agents such as Samuel Kootz and Pierre Matisse also vied to establish long-term working relationships with him.

At the same time, the artist began to receive offers to exhibit abroad. In 1967 for instance, he was invited to participate in a collective exhibition organised by the Maeght Foundation in France, which also included renowned artists as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. In 1968, his works were selected in the major travelling exhibition in North America titled "Painting in France 1900-1967." That same year, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art even held an exhibition solely devoted to Zao Wou-Ki, demonstrating that the artist had attained recognition in the international art world.

Having achieved international acclaim, Zao's art continued to build upon its foundations. Completed in 1969 the current lot, 14.01.69 evokes a sense of harmony and delicate charm with a dream-like atmosphere. Compositionally, the work can be divided into three distinct sections, with each one revealing a contrast between near and far as well as solid and void. Reminiscent of Song Dynasty's painter Xia Gui's Remote View of Streams and Hills, the luminous white void occupied the lower left part of the work resembles a vast lake shrouded in mist, juxtaposed with vaporous green and light grey hues that symbolize the hazy sky. The throbbing and broad waves of brown colours and vibrating black lines with their graphic intricacies in the right hand-side of the painting form an exquisite rugged mountain scene. They rise to the surface and play an important role in the composition as a whole, creating spatial depth and three-dimensional texture in the work. Here, the artist's free and flexible brushstrokes dexterously render a variety of effects: wet and dry, smooth and granular, transparent and impastoed, successfully fusing together the essence of thousands of years of Chinese traditional painting's aesthetics with Western media.

14.01.69's appearance on the market is a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a remarkable painting by Zao Wou-ki that has been held in a private American collection for over 40 years. In this work, the viewer can sense the artist's acute sensibility, striking confidence and a truly carefree vitality.