Lot 566
  • 566

Xiong Hai (Hung Hoi)

Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 HKD
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Description

  • Xiong Hai (Hung Hoi)
  • Landscapes
  • ink and colour on paper, album of eight leaves
  • 1990
frontispiece: inscribed in Chinese and marked with one seal by Rao Zongyi (Jao Tsung-I, b. 1917)
titleslip: signed, titled, dated 1990 in Chinese, and marked with one seal of the artist
each signed and dated 1990 in Chinese, and marked with a total of twenty-one seals of the artist

Provenance

Luen Chai Curios Store, Hong Kong
Private European Collection

Condition

Overall in good condition. The papers bear a brown town due to age, which can be improved with restoration. There is also light foxing on the titleslip, which can be improved with restoration. Overall album dimensions: 86.2 by 40.8 cm by 2.9 cm.
"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

The frontispiece of this album is inscribed by internationally renowned scholar, Jao Tsung-I (also known as Rao Zongyi; b. 1917). He is considered one of China's great sinologists for his contributions to the research, education, and preservation of China's art, history, and culture.

Immersed in the Chinese painting tradition, Hung Hoi regularly travels to China and Europe in search of captivating landscapes and to derive inspirations directly from nature – a practice advocated by Ming dynasty loyalist painters and innovative masters such as Shitao (1642-1707 C.E.). Hung's distinctive monumental landscapes, with its close-up perspective, naturally guide the viewer's eyes to begin from the bottom and travel upwards, creating the illusion of standing at the foot of a mountain, as evident in Retreat in the Mountains and Mountain Springs (lot 575) and Snowy Mountain (lot 563). Hung Hoi's fine and freehand brushwork include intricate details, such as tiny scholar figures resting in hidden pavilions or delicately patterned trees, and immerse viewers in the fantastical macrocosms of both his large-scale hanging scrolls and smaller-scale albums, as seen in Landscapes (lot 566).