Lot 586
  • 586

Xu Bing

Estimate
1,000,000 - 1,500,000 HKD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Xu Bing
  • Spring Dawn (triptych)
  • ink on paper, framed
  • executed in 2003
executed in 2003
signed and titled in Square Word Calligraphy, and marked with one seal of the artist

Note:



Spring Dawn, Poem by Meng Hao Ran



I scarcely know it was dawn, so sound was the sleep of spring.
Everywhere there was birdsong.
All night long was the sound of wind and rain.
How many flowers have fallen to the ground?



Meng Hao Ran was a Chinese poet during the Tang dynasty.
Unsuccessful in his official career, he mainly lived in and wrote about his birthplace.



Calligraphy by Xu Bing.

Provenance

Goedhuis Contemporary, New York
Private European Collection
The Origo Collection

Exhibited

United Kingdom, London, Saatchi Gallery, Ink: The Art of China, 19 June - 5 July, 2012, p. 42

Literature

Kuo, Jason C., Chinese Ink Painting Now, Distributed Art Publishers, New York, USA; Timezone 8, Hong Kong, China, 2010, pp.256-257

Condition

Overall in good condition. Overall framed dimensions: 146 by 77.3 cm; 57½ by 77½ in. each
"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

An internationally acclaimed contemporary artist, Xu Bing uses ancient methods of printmaking and calligraphy to explore new dimensions for contemporary Chinese art, and produces seminal artworks that focus on issues of language and meaning. Beginning in 1994, Xu embarked on his Squareword Calligraphy series, which combines the English alphabet into square forms resembling Chinese characters.

Spring Dawn is an English translation of a Chinese poem by Meng Haoran (689-740 C.E.), an influential Tang dynasty poet distinguished for his stylistic conventions of poetry focusing on nature and detailed observations of everyday life. The inscribed poem describes waking up on a spring morning after a storm and lyrically expressing sentiments of love and heartache for spring.