Zao Wou-Ki

signed in Pinyin and Chinese; signed, titled and dated 1.5.69 on the reverse

Private Collection, France (acquired directly from the artist circa 1970)
Thence by descent to the present owner

This work will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné currently being prepared by Françoise Marquet and Yann Hendgen (Information provided by Fondation Zao Wou-Ki).

This work is in very good condition overall. Very minor yellow spots of surface accretion, unobtrusive to the composition, scarcely scattered across the surface of the work. A small dent on the top edge located approximately 20 cm from the top right corner is visible only upon close examination. Evidence of faint craquelure, only visible under very close inspection, observed on thickly painted areas of the work on the center left of the work which is intrinsic to the artist's method of execution and age of work. No evidence of restoration when examined under ultraviolet light. Framed.
"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."

'The dazzling colour renderings and continuous fine lines in Zao Wou-Ki's work are striking, yet they still provide a sense of consolation. The fluid and free dynamic brushstrokes and the varying deep and shallow spaces within its composition make his work not just a landscape painting anymore, but the movement of the universe, the origin of the world, and the first light emerging from Chaos.'
Pierre Cabanne (A Review of Retrospective Zao Wou-Ki, Artist Magazine, Taipei, 1993, p. 442)

Zao Wou-Ki is among the most important and recognized Chinese painters of the 20^th century. He inherited the aesthetic tradition of Chinese landscape paintings and calligraphic art of the Song and Yuan dynasties in his art. Zao fused them with techniques of Western drawing, emphasizing the play of colour and light, creating a fresh, new abstract art that conjoined the best of East and West. All of these contributed to his popularity and success among the most respected gallery owners and agents.

By the mid-60s, Zao Wou-Ki, highly acclaimed on an international level, had reached the pinnacle in his artistic life. In France, his works were taken on by the renowned Galerie de France, which organised solo exhibitions for him once every two years. In the US, he began working with the Pierre Matisse Gallery and Kootz Gallery as well as exhibiting his paintings in a string of world-famous museums. In 1968, Zao's work was included in the travelling exhibition "Painting in France 1900–1967" at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, proof that Zao had attained recognition in the international art world. The same year, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art organized an exhibition solely devoted to Zao Wou-Ki.

The present lot 01.05.69 made right after Zao's solo show in San Francisco is an exquisite example of the artist's elegant compositions of the late 1960s. Through his broad and uninhibited brushstrokes, Zao created an imaginary heaven before our eyes. Although the artist had been practicing the abstraction since 1957, in his compositions, the beautiful landscape can always be found underneath the abstract and magical world. In this work, the finely textured and intertwined black lines form an alluring forest in a mountainous scenery, a reminiscence of the beautiful and ethereal painting by Chinese master Mi Fu and Xia Gui during the Song Dynasty. The luminous whites in the background rise to the surface and play a more important role in the composition as a whole, creating a glorious but mysterious vast sky. In the bottom section of the work, the artist deliberately uses diluted oil paints to evoke a sense of void, seemingly extending beyond the confines of the canvas into the imaginative spaces beyond. For Zao, this empty space is a world in itself: a place full of energy showing the filling and the fusing of things. As early as 1967, the painter had told the art critic J. D. Rey: "I like people to be able to stroll about in my canvases, as I do myself when I paint them" (the artist quoted in: Jean Laymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Barcelona 1979, p. 43).  In the center of the canvas, the waves of colours with the throbbing blue and radiant yellow change subtly, exuding powerful energy and resonance. Zao has struck the perfect balance between emptiness and fullness, movement and stillness. He walks the path of traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting culture to create the infinite on a finite canvas. In 01.05.69, the strong rhythm and movement of the brushstrokes epitomize the implicit spirit and strong vivacity in the Zao's art. The viewer is invited to let the mind wander in the enigmatic void that swells and swirls, permeating the canvas with a lyrical cadence.