Lot 1007
  • 1007

Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)

Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,500,000 HKD
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Description

  • Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)
  • Untitled
  • inscribed, signed in Chinese and Pinyin, and dated 62
  • watercolour on paper 

Provenance

Important Private Asian Collection 

Literature

Dominique de Villepin, ed., Zao Wou-Ki: Oeuvres 1935-2008, Kwai Fung Art Publishing House, Hong Kong, 2010, p. 160

Condition

This work is overall in very good condition.
"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

Inner Landscapes

From 1958 onwards, Zao Wou-ki vacated all reference to natural phenomena and proceeded towards pure abstraction. His abstract painting reached its peak in the 1960's. In Untitled (Lot 1007) of 1962, reds and blacks interweave and fuse, creating dramatic contrasts that evoke a primordial generative chaos. Fine white lines cover the middle of the composition, pulsating and dancing with an inner vitality and motivating the black brushwork and the layers of reddish orange. For Zao, Chinese painting lost its creativity in the 16th century, becoming a vast but staidly self-referential tradition that confuses beauty with technique and lacks the space for imagination and change. His watercolours of the 1960's manifest the wild energies of cursive calligraphy, which are also evident in his idiosyncratic inner landscapes. Zao Wou-ki painted the lot on offer as a gift to Pierre Descargues and his wife Catherine Valogne. As a journalist, art critic, photographer, and writer, Descargues was active in French art circles for over half a century. This painting is a testament to his friendship with Zao.