Zeng Shanqing

signed with three seals of the artist

Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Zeng Shanqing: The Praises of Life, 2010, pp. 22-23

Overall in good condition
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The depiction of horses in Chinese art has been a tradition since the Tang dynasty. Following in the footsteps of masters such as Han Gan (active 742-756) in the Tang Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) in the Yuan dynasty, and Xu Beihong (1985-1953) in the modern era, Zeng Shanqing adds personal flair and contemporary consciousness to his horse paintings. As the star pupil of Xu Beihong at the Central Academy of Art in Beijing, Zeng was considered one of the most promising artists of his generation in the 1950s. His paintings use minimal but confident brush gestures to depict powerful horses and bulls that exude the magnificence of such beasts. The images of horses traditionally signify resistance to power and authority, acting as public acknowledgement of desire for change. As part of the intellectual generation oppressed during the Cultural Revolution, Zeng is a living testament to the subject of persecution. He spent a significant time in Tibet and much of his work draws inspiration from his humanistic sympathies towards the simple life of the Tibetan plateau. Fierce Bull (Lot 2885) depicts the magnificent beast in a nearly comical position about to burst from the image itself. Zeng's tightly foreshortened compositions fill the entire space and utilize the frame in a contemporary way to emphasize the power of his message. Stubborn Horse (Lot 2886) similarly depicts the animal being tugged by a red rope, caught in a candid moment of defiance. Fresh and alive, Zeng's fluid ink wash technique infuse his animals with a vitality that quite literally "sing the praises of life", the namesake of the exhibition for which they were created.