Lot 571
  • 571

Zeng Xiaojun

Estimate
650,000 - 850,000 HKD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Zeng Xiaojun
  • Connected Trees from the Forbidden City No. 1
  • ink on paper, framed
  • executed in 2004
executed in 2004
signed in Chinese and marked with one seal of the artist

Provenance

Michael Goedhuis Gallery, London
The Origo Collection

Exhibited

United Kingdom, London, Michael Goedhuis Gallery, Zeng Xiaojun, 7 May-6 June, 2009, p.12
United Kingdom, London, Saatchi Gallery, Ink: The Art of China, 19 June - 5 July, 2012, p.113

Literature

Xinyuan Moji Zeng Xiaojun, People's Fine Arts Publishing, Beijing, China, 2005, p. 213
Kuo, Jason C., Chinese Ink Painting Now, Distributed Art Publishers, New York, USA; Timezone 8, Hong Kong, China, 2010, p.113

Condition

Overall in good condition. Overall framed dimensions: 221.8 by 136 cm; 87⅜ by 53½ in.
"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

A connoisseur of rare woods and collector of classical Chinese furniture and scholarly objects, Zeng pursues a contemporary literati ideal in his painting by exploring the innate connection between human and nature in his subjects through his meticulously exquisite brushstrokes inspired especially by renowned Ming dynasty literati-style landscape painters Shen Zhou (1427 – 1509) and Wen Zhengming (1470 – 1559). Through the juxtaposition of three works from both his early and later years (see Lots 571, 572, and 573), this present sale provides a rare opportunity to experience and witness the artistic journey that Zeng Xiaojun has embarked on as a contemporary artist.

Connected Trees from the Forbidden City No. 1 (Lot 571) is one of a series of paintings depicting two giant cypresses, present in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City in Beijing, connected to each other with intertwined branches grown over time. Representing the loyal love between the Emperor and Empress, the centuries old trees hand-in-hand witnessed the dramatic changes of the Qing dynasty and its fall into modern times. Zeng’s portrait of the “Loving Couple” trees portrays them not only as natural objects, but as living history of both nature and humanity.

Fascinated by ancient trees with historical and cultural significance, Zeng portrayed the Qing Qi Gu Guai (meaning Pure, Rare, Ancient, Eccentric) cypresses in the Situ Temple located at the foot of the Dengwei Mountain in Suzhou that date back to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Over two-thousand years old, these four trees have withstood the test of time, natural disasters, and human destruction, surviving in their bizarre forms as “three-dimensional paintings, silent poetry, and living cultural heritage.”1 Zeng’s monumental Qing, Qi, Gu, Guai (Lot 572) painting is the sixth iteration of the 2004 series collectively depicting the cypresses with their twisted forms and a strong sense of vitality and strength; Each painting in the series is unique in its composition, physical size, and use of colour or monochromatic ink. This present lot is one of the largest in the series and is the most dramatic in Zeng’s characteristic wet and dry painting style.

As a contemporary artist, Zeng started his artistic journey specialising in mural painting and building a varied artistic foundation in oil and ink painting. In the 1990s he developed a focus on landscapes in a traditional Chinese style, which gained the attention of collectors abroad as he established himself in the U.S. through several solo and group exhibitions in Boston and New York. The Sounds of Pines and Stream (Lot 573) is one of Zeng’s representative landscapes of this period, which presents a classical composition with harmonious brown-and-green colour washes. The misty atmosphere amplified by the soft-wet ink wash and the void left in-between invites the viewer into the scene to watch the waterfall pouring down the mountains and enjoy the sounds of nature.

His strong interest in everything to do with nature—especially having a penchant for wood—serves as a constant inspiration and motivation for the development of his artistic career. Departing from traditional landscape compositions, trees and roots are often Zeng’s main subject of study as independent and isolated imagery. Colour washes give way to monochromatic ink with meticulous brushstrokes and superb control over wet and dry, lines and dots, which are characteristic of his signature painting style.

1 Shen, Fu (1763 – 1825), Six Records of a Floating Life, 1877.